To be one's self, and unafraid whether right or wrong, is more admirable than the easy cowardice of surrender to conformity.
Irving Wallace
Irving Wallace
MULTIPLE CHOICE: Which picture shows an accurate portrayal of yours truly? Yeah, this big, curly headed fellow could be me. Dear Readers, it's true confession time. The top two pictures ARE NOT me. Absolutely not! When it comes to trampolines, roller coasters, heights, speed, snakes and probably a few others, they absolutely scare me witness. Yep, I'm a gutless wonder!
Before you judge me too harshly, I firmly believe the whole snake thing is Scripture-based. I didn't look for references for the rest of my phobias, but I bet I could make something to "fit".
Hopefully by now, you know I'll look for a lesson in anything, even things that frighten me. Let's take a closer look at trampolines and roller coasters as analogies for our faith walks.
Both trampolines and roller coasters can propel us to great heights; they can be exhilarating. This Cowardly Lion (moi) is making an assumption, since I'd have to be dead or in a coma to try either one, but folks have told me "it's the thrill of it all".
Faith is the same way, isn't it? Speaking from personal experience and the witness of countless others, when a seed of faith blossoms into awakening, enlightenment, or action, we can be blown away. That's kind of where my heart and mind have been lately, and I'm so thankful the Lord loves us enough to take our little, and turn it into HIS LOT. Succumbing to the upward tug seems to be less of a challenge than fighting the fall that stretches the skin off our faces and puts our hair at full salute.
This makes my head hurt. It's hard for me to separate the natural, the laws of nature that God put into place, from spiritual laws. We're taught the basic laws of gravity, what goes up must come down, but do they also have to apply to our faith, our spiritual lives? I don't know. I know my personal faith experience has had its up and downs, but is it frailty as a human or what God has in mind for us all along?
Coupled with the heady exuberance of climbing and speeding through the air, trampolines and roller coasters represent a certain sense of danger. One false move on the trampoline could prove disastrous. Minutes after a roller coaster accident and it's reopened, people are jubilantly climbing aboard. What's that about? "Sure, I saw the EMTs carry away 13 people with a variety of injuries, but heh, what's not to love about the thrill of it all?"
Is faith similar? It draws us into its web with promises of thrills and excitement. But there's danger, too, isn't there? What if I step out onto the narrow ledge of faith and fall? Does it take the threat of life or death, like for Indiana Jones, for us to take that leap of faith? Faith is dangerous.
Before you judge me too harshly, I firmly believe the whole snake thing is Scripture-based. I didn't look for references for the rest of my phobias, but I bet I could make something to "fit".
Hopefully by now, you know I'll look for a lesson in anything, even things that frighten me. Let's take a closer look at trampolines and roller coasters as analogies for our faith walks.
Both trampolines and roller coasters can propel us to great heights; they can be exhilarating. This Cowardly Lion (moi) is making an assumption, since I'd have to be dead or in a coma to try either one, but folks have told me "it's the thrill of it all".
Faith is the same way, isn't it? Speaking from personal experience and the witness of countless others, when a seed of faith blossoms into awakening, enlightenment, or action, we can be blown away. That's kind of where my heart and mind have been lately, and I'm so thankful the Lord loves us enough to take our little, and turn it into HIS LOT. Succumbing to the upward tug seems to be less of a challenge than fighting the fall that stretches the skin off our faces and puts our hair at full salute.
This makes my head hurt. It's hard for me to separate the natural, the laws of nature that God put into place, from spiritual laws. We're taught the basic laws of gravity, what goes up must come down, but do they also have to apply to our faith, our spiritual lives? I don't know. I know my personal faith experience has had its up and downs, but is it frailty as a human or what God has in mind for us all along?
Coupled with the heady exuberance of climbing and speeding through the air, trampolines and roller coasters represent a certain sense of danger. One false move on the trampoline could prove disastrous. Minutes after a roller coaster accident and it's reopened, people are jubilantly climbing aboard. What's that about? "Sure, I saw the EMTs carry away 13 people with a variety of injuries, but heh, what's not to love about the thrill of it all?"
Is faith similar? It draws us into its web with promises of thrills and excitement. But there's danger, too, isn't there? What if I step out onto the narrow ledge of faith and fall? Does it take the threat of life or death, like for Indiana Jones, for us to take that leap of faith? Faith is dangerous.
Like trampolines and roller coasters, faith can be exhilarating and dangerous. It can also be unpredictable. How do we decide whether the benefits outweigh the risks since there are never any guarantees? Do we have to be pushed to the limit? Is there a formula, a way to know for sure, or at least probably sure?
Or maybe, it's that "still small voice". Maybe each of us has to come to a certain place in our lives when we have to decide if faith is worth the risks. Have you come that place? How did you decide whether or not to take that leap of faith? What would you say to someone standing on the ledge?
Or maybe, it's that "still small voice". Maybe each of us has to come to a certain place in our lives when we have to decide if faith is worth the risks. Have you come that place? How did you decide whether or not to take that leap of faith? What would you say to someone standing on the ledge?
Hebrews 11:1 Revised Standard Version (RSV)
11 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
11 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
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