Life may seem like a high wire sometimes, whether facing illness, financial trouble, grief, loneliness, or a host of other negatives. But God promises to help us reach the other side of such adversities. Training in His Word, prayer and praise, fellowship, and other spiritual disciplines help us across the abysses in our lives.
Eternal Perspectives by Sally Bair
The other side
The Wallenda family is famous for their daring feats of walking across great expanses on a high wire. Several years ago, Nik Wallenda’s walk across part of the Grand Canyon had millions of us holding our breath as we watched the live TV show. The famous high wire artist had trained for weeks for his walk. Yet he faced unknown obstacles. Brutal winds pounded him from all around the 1,500-foot-deep gorge. He encountered instability in the two-inch cable beneath his feet. His vision of the jagged edges of the canyon wall distracted him.
Wallenda’s walk may have seemed like a foolish risk to many of us. But he had trained since age two and drew on the experiences of eight generations of other Wallendas. Most of all, Nik Wallenda believed God had called him to take the epic, 1,400-foot walk across the Little Colorado River gorge of the Grand Canyon.
Millions of us TV viewers heard, through the microphone he carried, Wallenda’s praises to God. During the entire dangerous walk, he focused on God as his guide. “Thank You, Jesus,” he repeated. “Blessed be Your Name, Lord … You are my strength … hallelujah, Jesus … You are holy.”
The unseen, unavoidable dangers Wallenda faced, despite his training, remind us that we all encounter “walks” that require us to reach the other side of the situation. In grief or illness, we may wonder if ever there is an end. When we find ourselves in the midst of our own wrongdoings, we might wonder if we should continue fighting or give up. At times we may feel like letting go. Are the anguish and danger worth the effort to reach the other side, we may wonder?
God promises blessings and rewards on the other side of our journey. Like Wallenda we can train daily, knowing God will bring us across. Through prayer and the embracing of God’s Word and Spirit, we will reach His side of victory and His inner peace, joy, and the hope of eternal life with Him. Such training is immeasurably worth our time and effort.
According to the apostle Paul, we need to train like athletes, like Wallenda, in order to reach spiritual victory. “…reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14)
Lord, like Wallenda, help us to train and prepare for eternity by first embracing You as our Lord and Savior, and by remaining steadfast in faith through Your Word and Spirit. Cause us to thank and praise You during every step we take through our trials, even those that seem like a high wire across a deep abyss. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Comments