Life is a tightrope

Today's post was written by my beautiful wife.

 A few days ago a tightrope walker named Nik Wallenda made it into the record books by accomplishing an amazing feat--he walked across an area of the Grand Canyon on a skywire! No one has ever had the nerve to do it and I venture to say--no one again ever will. I asked myself why he would do such a thing. Why put himself in such imminent danger? Why take the chance on leaving his wife and children without  a husband and father. In one word I would call it--PURPOSE. I believe Nik Wallenda was born to walk that tightrope. If you listen to his story, you know he comes from seven generations of tightrope walkers and performers. He first stepped on a tightrope at the age of two. Even  scientific tests have shown that Nik has a better control of balance than 99% of the population. This was his destiny. Nik Wallenda mentioned that he'd never do anything dangerous. HUH?? Well for him, walking a tightrope is just another day at work. Even so, did he face the canyon called Hell Hole Bend" with scorn? No he studied it with reverence and awe. Looking forward to the view no one else would have the nerve to see. Nik is a Christian so with this reverence, skill and purpose he didn't forget the most important thing--God. God who made, Nik, the canyon and the winds that moved in updrafts from its bottom. Nik stepped onto that wire with faith and confidence of god--all the while with each step acknowledging his Savior Jesus. He praised Jesus and thanked him for the opportunity to be in that very place--1500 feet above the canyon on a 2 inch wide wire. Wow. He knew God was with hime and thanked him continuously. Now--there were times during that 22 minute walk along that wire that he became nervous and maybe very afraid. He would pause and kneel down on the wire when the vibrations cause by the wind and his own movement caused instability. Shortly after he would rise again and continue his walk until triumphantly making to the the other side! I was so inspired by him that evening. It made me think of my own life. What if I could approach my day--my life the same way. Knowing who I was created to be in Christ and embracing it. Understanding and using my gifts for God's Glory. Realizing that though winds may come and my own efforts might prove fruitless--Matthew 19:26 says,"Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Nik knew that without God he might have been splattered all over the floor of that canyon or maybe never would have had the courage to be there in the first place. The beauty is that he make his work as a tightrope walker a sacrifice to the Savior Jesus and as a result God ordered each one of his steps and received Glory while the whole world watched. What if we approached our jobs and our daily missions with the same faith and trust in God. God can and will use you and I if we allow him to. It will always be for your good and his Glory.

"I can do all this through him who gives me strength." Phil 4:13