Cliff Side Faith

Some years ago I had a group of leadership kids in my youth ministry that needed a challenge to move to the next level. They were involved in a bunch of stuff, school, family and ministry, but they were becoming……I don’t know….stale. Sometimes we need to change our thinking to affect our behavior. But, sometimes we need to change our behavior to affect our thinking and perceptions. We needed a change. Not too long before, an old acquaintance spoke at a men’s retreat I was at. His name was Tim Hansel, author, speaker and founder of Summit Adventures. Summit was founded by Tim to get Christians back to the outdoors and in touch with God and His creation. Mountaineering, camping, hiking, climbing, survival skills and more were included in the various adventures and each challenge was chock full of life lessons.

I signed my group up for a 5 day trip into the Ansel Adams Wilderness, just east of Yosemite National Park. We hiked, packed, swam, sweat, blistered, climbed, laughed, cried, ate, pooped, slept, talked, and read out in the wilderness. The full moon was so bright I read my Bible without a flashlight at night. We rock climbed, belayed for our safety. We swam in lower Jackass Lake, jumping from 25 ft. into the cool, refreshing water. We took a solo one night, separated from all human contact. We learned to use a compass in a hide-and-seek sort of game. But the thing I looked forward to the most was rappelling.

Rappelling is a technique used to go down, in our case a cliff side, on a rope. I’d always wanted to do it and this was my first chance! They tied off the ropes and had us gear up with a harness around our hips and waist. Then we added our helmets and we were ready……..for the rules and techniques lecture and practicum which took….forever! For some reason they thought we should have some instruction before launching ourselves off of a 180 foot cliff! At any rate, my turn came and they hooked me up like they we’re lowering a Jeep! Then the moment of truth came. I stepped out, turned around and leaned backward over a very tall cliff, my life depending on a rope, a harness, and the expertise of my guides. What a rush! I bounced down that sheer rock wall having the time of my life. My face was cramping due to excess smiling.

It was a test of faith. Yet I was so confident in my guides and equipment that I didn’t even hesitate. My faith was bolstered by the reputation of my outfitters and by the fact that they hadn’t suffered a death or maiming for…..weeks! Joking! I’m joking! Everything I knew and had experienced up to the moment of my leaning into that rope, rear end out over nothing, built my faith that this wouldn’t end in tragedy. Was my trip down uneventful? No! I banged into the sharp stone a few times. I let my legs go too fast and face planted a couple of times. I got a rope burn. But, never once did I question whether I would survive the trek. I had faith in what was holding on to me. Faith built by my experience, the reputation of the outfitter and guides, and testimonies of others.
As we head in to uncertain times, could I encourage you to bolster your faith by revisiting the times over the years when God met you in various circumstances. Read His Word. Remember the testimonies of others and draw on their experiences. The Lord never promised us unending ease, He promised us we’d never walk alone. His rope is strong. His knots are secure. His anchor is solid.

Pastor Doug, out.