Off the Ground

This weekend, I had the never before opportunity of going indoor bouldering. What exactly is that you say? Well for us, it looked like climbing multiple warped walls without any ropes for safety. You simply follow the various tape patterns up a curvy arched slant and when you make it to the top, claim victory. It sounded exciting when I was invited and as soon as I got to see the obstacles for myself, they were right. There were many ways to test your abilities and I could not wait to conquer any number of them.

I sat down and quickly changed into more appropriate shoes. Once they were snug and snapped into place, I looked up to see what I wanted to attack first. My attitude towards accomplishing my goal became a little less hopeful. Will my broken body work like I hope? Without further delaying, I decided that I would never know until I try. So, I stepped forward and tackled a very large artificial boulder with all the guts I could find. 

The sport board I was on proved to be the challenge that it was, but the higher I climbed the more momentum and drive I had to succeed. This is such a great parallel for how I see my relationship with Christ. The more I seek His way and understanding, the more strength and courage I have to overcome. The more I listen to the doubting advice of the world and what my circumstances appear to be, the less likely I am to ever get off the ground.

Isaiah 40:9 says, Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”  These are wonderful instructions and more simply, a perfect depiction of what truly happened with every measure I gained. When I finally made it to the top of my climb, I knew it was not from my own ability, but from God's generous portion.

So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way.

Luke 19:4 (ESV)