On my first trip to Cañon City, Colorado, my husband and I walked across the nearby Royal Gorge Bridge. Several people use that bridge as a jumping-off place. They bungee jump from the highest bridge in the United States.

I like adventure, but that looks crazy. I have no desire to bounce like a rubber ball between The Royal Gorge Bridge and the Arkansas River 955 feet below.

Jumping-off place (or jumping-off point) has two meanings.

1. The beginning point
2. A very remote place

We will explore the first meaning, the beginning point.

A jumping-off place may be the beginning of:

• Adventure, like those crazy bungee jumpers
• Journeys, like our trip to Colorado
• Business plans, like starting a new company
• Discussions, like the beginning of peace talks
• Investigations, like exploring space

A jumping-off place is often scary.

Anything new involves risk. Therefore, we decide whether the beginning is worth the risk. I took the risk of a hot air balloon ride, an adventure on my bucket list. I have no plans to risk a bungee jump. That cord could break, and I would end up graveyard dead.

When we jump into something wrong, we usually try to change directions.

We want to correct our mistake. However, we don’t want to make a bad situation worse. That would be like jumping from the frying pan into the fire. Instead we make a wiser choice.

God put a head on our shoulders. Let’s use it for something more than a hat rack.

“Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus” (Mark 10:50 NIV).

Thanks to Brenda Mullins for the suggestion.

Do you have an expression you want explained? If so, please comment below.

Subscribe to receive my weekly posts by email and receive a free copy of “Words of Hope for Days that Hurt.” On September 21, 2019, I will randomly select the name of one person on my mailing list to also receive a free copy of The Extraordinary Presence of God: True Stories of Faith and Courage in Ordinary Lives.

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends.