Perspective from the Wall

Yesterday we attended a terrific late Summer BBQ/pool party. My children thoroughly enjoyed the inflatables, sack races, fireworks and water balloon toss. K & R even took on the rock climbing wall.

R went first. He quickly scampered up the wall. As a careful student of 'big kids,' who had been standing in line for 15 minutes, he knew how to release his grip and bounce back down the wall.

K was a different story. She took a bit longer to get to the top. She was persistent, but the expression on her face made it clear that she was working hard. R,P, her Daddy and I were all cheering for her. We shouted pointers up to her about where to put her hands next and general encouragement as she struggled. Several other 'big kids' in the line also yelled positive things up to her. "You can do it, K." "You are almost there."

I was struck by the difference this exhortation made for her. She likely would have quit had it not been for all those people around her, cheering her on. At the very least, it would have been a much more difficult task. She would have likely walked away remembering the struggle, not the support.

I couldn't help but compare it to the experience of a couple of other kids at the BBQ that seemed to be from out of town. One blonde boy in particular, did not have a parent or anyone familiar around as he struggled. No one knew him, or his name. He had no one cheering for him.

I was thinking about Hebrews and 'being surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses' as we run this race of life. I was contemplating what a difference it makes to have people in your corner. I was praying that I would be an encouraging member of that crowd.

Just as I was pondering all of this, it was time for K to come back down. She panicked. She could not let go and trust the rope to bring her down. Despite the crowd's encouragement and instruction she cried, "It is just a little scary to let go." It took several minutes of cajoling to get her to the bottom--including a worker climbing part way to help her down.

My friend, Elizabeth, took a step in my direction and said, "I can imagine your blog post now...the importance of faith. How hard it is sometimes to let go and trust."

I laughed. "That is a great point...and, interestingly, not the lesson I was pondering."

Life lessons are all around us. Depending on where we are and what God is up to in our personal lives, we may see different things at different times--even in the exact same scenario. The key thing for me to remember is that God is very real and at work in this world. We just need to open our eyes and look for Him.

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7 (NIV)

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV)