the edge of the cliff

When my children were in their teens, there was a very active youth group in our church. They had a leader who loved to rock climb and often took the kids. This was real rock climbing (not one of those fake walls) in a Wisconsin State Park.

One such adventure they were in need of a woman chaperone, so I offered to go. (I loved going to youth group events.) My kids were amazing rock climbers…they reminded me of a spider climbing a wall, It seemed effortless.

As my kids skillfully worked their way up, I was encouraged to give it a try. I’d been watching over an hour as one kid after another carefully donned the required gear. I saw too, that the belayers (men who manned the ropes) never let anyone fall. They encouraged the climber and gave them a gentle tug up if they got stuck.

Though I had a fear of heights, I figured if they could do it, why couldn’t I? I geared up. My belayer was a strong guy (he needed to be with me on the line!). When I got up about 8 feet, I decided I was ready to get down.…no such luck! I got a tug and against my better judgement I continued up a few more feet (not that anyone was giving me a choice at this point).

A few more feet I once again told my belayers I could come down now. This time I got a big tug up (they now had two belayers…both laughing with every tug) and that kept going all the way to the top. The kids were laughing and encouraging me to go upward…my pride made me hide how scared I really was!

By that point I realized my kid’s spider abilities did not come from me. Once to the top I started my descent. Now that was fun. I landed with shaky legs feeling very accomplished. (Why, I don’t know…the belayers did the hard work.)

(All these years I was convinced it was like a 150-foot wall of rock we climbed. I recently looked it up and it appears that park’s rock faces were rarely more than 40-feet…but it felt like so much more!! Really, if I fell 40 feet or 150 feet, I think the results would be the same.)

Since I enjoyed the descent so much, I walked to the top of the hill to join those who were rappelling down. To me that sounded easier and more fun than climbing. The only problem was that once I was geared up and harnessed to the rope, I could not step off the edge of the cliff!

It was the same rock wall that I had just “climbed” and descended. But even with all the gear, knowing there was a belayer who would not let me crash into the rock wall or splatter on the ground, I could not step off that cliff. My head knew I could trust the ropes, trust the gear and trust the belayers…yet I could not do it!

Sometimes I am just like that in life. How many things have I not done because of an unfounded fear holding me back? Even though I know I have the mightiest belayer there is…God. I know God will guide me safely if I will just give Him control of the ropes.

He is everything…the gear, the helmet, the harness, the belayer and even the rope. All is safe and secure in Him…yet there are times I have hesitated to take that first step off the cliff. It looked overwhelming.

Today if I find taking that step is too overwhelming, I review all that God has done for me in the past. I remind myself that God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He will never leave me or forsake me.

Satan often tries to convince me that the cliff is too high, that I will splatter to the ground, but I am able to resist his lies by reminding myself of the proven track record of my Triune God. By focusing on Him, I am able to take that first step off the cliff…and guess what? I fall…into God’s arms and He carries me…not the rope! How can you not love a God like Him?

“It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure…You (God) make Your saving help my shield, and Your right hand sustains me. Psalm 18:32,35