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Will the Rope Hold?
By Mike Woodard
On a
day off, I had signed up for a day long class in rock climbing.
I was successfully making my way up the side of a mountain when
the instructor surprised me with an unexpected challenge, when he said, “I
want you to push yourself off and fall on the rope!”
Questioning why he would ask me to do this, I hesitated, and he
wisely pointed out that, “You will never be a good rock climber until you
can trust that the rope will hold you. Push yourself off and fall on the rope.”
I was
afraid. Obviously, my trust was in my ability to use my hands and feet
to scale the mountain.
The
rope was a secondary source of security, in case I slipped (which I did not
plan to do!).
I
eventually did let go my hand holds, and I’m here to tell you that the rope
held!
There are times when God seems to say the same thing to me as my
instructor did that day. “Take the step, release your hands on what you are
holding and see that I’m trustworthy.”
The writer of the Psalms wrote, “O taste and see that
the LORD is good; how blessed is the person who takes refuge in Him!” (Psalm
34:8)
I will never be a responsive Christ follower if I am unwilling
to let go of whatever I am grasping when God says, “Let go, trust me.”
Are you
willing to let go of the things that give you security?
We can
only experience God’s goodness when we take those, sometimes scary steps that
take faith.
Do you
trust God is able to hold you securely when you let go
of the things that provide comfort or security? What step is God asking you
to take?
Could
it be he is asking you to let go of a relationship, finances or a position …
Enjoy
the adventure!
Question: Do
you believe your rope, God, will hold you during tough times?
Mike
Woodard
is a small town boy who grew up on a hobby farm in Michigan. After finishing a
science degree at Central Michigan University in 1977, Mike moved to Canada to
begin working in university student ministry. He married Karen in 1978, after
years of friendship that started in high school. Edmonton was their home for 11
years. Their son and 3 daughters were born in rapid order. Home base moved to
Ottawa and then to their current home in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Mike and
Karen have both finished MA degrees from Trinity Western University, ACTS
Seminary. They currently serve with FamilyLife Canada.
Their family has expanded to include 3 sons-in-law and two grandsons.
Mike
enjoys backpacking in the stunning wilderness of Western Canada. A thrill
seeker at heart, bungee-jumping, sky-diving, marathon and triathlon have been
checked off his life’s “to do” list. His motto is, “Life is an adventure!” In
the summer of 2012 Mike’s first book was released. Love That Lasts-52 Insights for
Couples is a collection of insights that first appeared as weekly
posts on the FamilyLife Canada website. The book is now available
in English and French.
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