Lately I've been truly surprised at how many people are struggling. Long-time marriages/couples are breaking up. Layoffs. Runaways. Suicides. Alcohol and drug use is up and even being praised or celebrated (check out the latest list of country songs by male singers or recent rap songs). Seems like there is NOTHING but bad news at every turn...?
In my own life I've seen a serious increase in the amount of stress I am under, particularly at work, but not only there... and my ability to deal with it and release it seems to be thinning. Hmmmm. Have my circumstances changed? Not really, not yet. No. So what's up?
I'm not entirely sure.
Last night however, I happened to see something that brought my chaotic and somewhat sad perspective into very sharp focus: Nik Wallenda walking a wire across Niagra Falls.
If you didn't get the chance to see the broadcast, I hope you check it out on YouTube on the link above because it was simply amazing. This was his dream come true and as he was stepping out onto the wire and walking purposefully, slowly across this wire, he was praying. Talking with his own father as well as praising / acknowledging God. I've never seen a more perfect embodiment of how we should all live and proceed through life than I did watching him put one foot in front of the other, despite swirling 30mph wind, swirling rain that made each step slippery, and a moving narrow road (the wire itself). He never paused. He never slowed, although he did run the last few steps -- as I think we all would toward our own finish lines. He never back-tracked.
Slow. Steady. Forward. Each step deliberate.
On the social net, many were mocking him. Mocking his faith. Mocking his attempt. Criticizing everything from his speed, to the little harness, to his clothing, etc. etc. etc. The few people on the net that did actually praise him or were awed by this effort were then also mocked by others.
Again, another perfect example of the negative noise we all hear whenever we attempt to do ANYthing positive. There are always THOSE voices. The voices of ridicule, the voices of criticism and doubt. The voices of fear, anger, resentment. There were literally 10 times the number of negative or mocking posts for every one positive post.
Don't we all experience this same thing? Whether it's the negativity of others or the negative self-talk in our heads that we think is our voice?
I found myself literally praying he would not slip, could have the strength to finish his journey; that he kept moving forward... and when he did, I actually had tears in my eyes and clapped for him.
What he did truly represented the wire we all walk every day of our lives... so my tears were as much for myself and the reminder he had just brought back to me as it was to celebrate what God allowed us all to see. Amazing, Inspiring, Humbling GRACE under pressure.
Life is a Wire Walk.
It is treacherous at times, chalk full of challenges that are meant to topple us into a swirling mist and churning waters that will break our bodies and minds if we fall.
And yet, we are all called to walk.
We all innately know we must put one foot in front of the other... and keep our eyes forward even though we often cannot see the other side or are blinded by the streaming rain or swirling misty winds. We must move forward.
And while family and friends can support us, the truth is that we are alone on that wire with nothing but our own strength and skill endowed by God to make us move. It is our choice to walk. It is our choice to have FAITH in both God and ourselves. It is our choice to prepare ourselves as best we can to MAKE THAT WALK...
God is with us. But we must decide to walk... forward. Rather than staying where we are or back-tracking. He has given us what we need to reach the other side, we just have to each believe we CAN do it and then choose to make each step.
Thanks Nik.
Today, I'm walking forward. I hope we all do!
Is it that we are all going through mid-life crises? something in the air? what?
In my own life I've seen a serious increase in the amount of stress I am under, particularly at work, but not only there... and my ability to deal with it and release it seems to be thinning. Hmmmm. Have my circumstances changed? Not really, not yet. No. So what's up?
I'm not entirely sure.
Last night however, I happened to see something that brought my chaotic and somewhat sad perspective into very sharp focus: Nik Wallenda walking a wire across Niagra Falls.
If you didn't get the chance to see the broadcast, I hope you check it out on YouTube on the link above because it was simply amazing. This was his dream come true and as he was stepping out onto the wire and walking purposefully, slowly across this wire, he was praying. Talking with his own father as well as praising / acknowledging God. I've never seen a more perfect embodiment of how we should all live and proceed through life than I did watching him put one foot in front of the other, despite swirling 30mph wind, swirling rain that made each step slippery, and a moving narrow road (the wire itself). He never paused. He never slowed, although he did run the last few steps -- as I think we all would toward our own finish lines. He never back-tracked.
Slow. Steady. Forward. Each step deliberate.
On the social net, many were mocking him. Mocking his faith. Mocking his attempt. Criticizing everything from his speed, to the little harness, to his clothing, etc. etc. etc. The few people on the net that did actually praise him or were awed by this effort were then also mocked by others.
Again, another perfect example of the negative noise we all hear whenever we attempt to do ANYthing positive. There are always THOSE voices. The voices of ridicule, the voices of criticism and doubt. The voices of fear, anger, resentment. There were literally 10 times the number of negative or mocking posts for every one positive post.
Don't we all experience this same thing? Whether it's the negativity of others or the negative self-talk in our heads that we think is our voice?
I found myself literally praying he would not slip, could have the strength to finish his journey; that he kept moving forward... and when he did, I actually had tears in my eyes and clapped for him.
What he did truly represented the wire we all walk every day of our lives... so my tears were as much for myself and the reminder he had just brought back to me as it was to celebrate what God allowed us all to see. Amazing, Inspiring, Humbling GRACE under pressure.
It is treacherous at times, chalk full of challenges that are meant to topple us into a swirling mist and churning waters that will break our bodies and minds if we fall.
And yet, we are all called to walk.
We all innately know we must put one foot in front of the other... and keep our eyes forward even though we often cannot see the other side or are blinded by the streaming rain or swirling misty winds. We must move forward.
And while family and friends can support us, the truth is that we are alone on that wire with nothing but our own strength and skill endowed by God to make us move. It is our choice to walk. It is our choice to have FAITH in both God and ourselves. It is our choice to prepare ourselves as best we can to MAKE THAT WALK...
God is with us. But we must decide to walk... forward. Rather than staying where we are or back-tracking. He has given us what we need to reach the other side, we just have to each believe we CAN do it and then choose to make each step.
Thanks Nik.
Today, I'm walking forward. I hope we all do!
THINK. WRITE. BELIEVE. ACT.
No comments:
Post a Comment