I climb up onto the slack line (with a little help) and turn to face the other end. I’m standing on the connection between the line and the support that’s wrapped around the tree behind me– the tree I cling to for support. As I stand there, I start to realize just how far off the ground I actually am, how far it is to the other end, and just how narrow the slack line actually is. I’m attempting to use all my dance knowledge to find my balance: stomach tucked in, all the muscles of my bottom half tight, chest and head lifted. But I’m still holding on to the tree behind me, so I can’t really get my body into the correct position to find and maintain balance. I let go for a moment and manage to take one small step forward, but then my hands immediately go back to the tree. This isn’t going to work! Why can’t I let go?
This was my experience at youth group a couple of weeks ago. My friend Jeremy likes to climb, so he bought himself a “slack line” to work on his balance. A slack line is basically like a tight rope, only the slack line is about 2 inches wide. You set it up between two trees and try to walk back and forth. When Jeremy brought this to youth group, I decided to give it a try. It wasn’t that far off the ground (maybe about 3 feet), but it was apparently enough to freak me out. I wound up only taking about two steps, and that was after Jeremy and Ethan moved so they were “spotting” me on either side of the line.
In thinking about it since then, I’ve realized what a metaphor that experience was for my life at the moment. I feel like I’m stepping out into nothing with only the narrowest of platforms to stand on and nothing to hold onto. But I have a tree behind me– the people and places and ideas that feel comfortable to me right now. I really want to cling to those because they feel sturdy and strong. But I’m starting to realize that if I’m facing forward but my hands are reaching behind, I’m never going to be able to get my balance. Even more importantly, I’m trying to remember that I can reach up and grab God’s hands because He promises to hold me.
Please pray with me that God would help me to let go of the things that I cling to for comfort and support and to grab hold of His hands instead.
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