Jumping-off Place
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.
- The beginning point
- 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 or a thought about this one? If so, please comment below.
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