Step By Step… Hello weekend readers. Last week we went to the top of Sandia Mountain in Albuquerque. It starts at a National Forest bumpy road but the scenery was incredible. We stopped to go into the ‘Sandia Cave’ – everyone told us to do it. Well, talk about step-by-step, it’s a mile up and then a circular stairway (heavy iron-yay) with a lot of steps to get into the cave, then down from the cave and more steps. Obviously, we were careful on each step! All this got me musing on a very old story of two men who attempted to walk across Niagara Falls on a tightrope! I’m sharing this because it has a deep spiritual meaning for us all…

On August 14, 1859, thousands gathered to watch French acrobat Charles Blondin attempt to walk across a tightrope over Niagara Falls. Blondin even asked the crowd if they believed he could do it and they shouted out “Yes!” It wasn’t his first time; he had already done this several times that summer. But today was going to be a whole lot different because his manager, Harry Colcord would be on his back! The story says: as they began their walk over the rushing falls, Blondin turned to Colcord and told him to look up. He told him that he was no longer “Colcord” but “Blondin,” meaning they would be like one man, mind, body and soul, until they crossed the falls. Blondin instructed his manager to sway with him and not to attempt any balancing himself because if he did, they would both fall to their deaths. The outcome—they made it. The crowds cheered, Blondin obliged and Harry took off to the closest bathroom because he needed to throw-up! Suffice it to say, he never got on a tightrope again in his life.  

This story reminds me of our faith—our belief in God no matter our situation. But sometimes faith is easy from a distance until our steps fall from under our feet. Let’s face it: it’s easier to tell God what we believe he can do than to trust him to do it like our lives depend on it.

In Galatians 2:20 [msg] the Apostle Paul said: “I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not ‘mine’– but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.”

Believing that Blondin could walk the rope was different from believing in him. For us, if we say “We believe that …” we are making a statement about something which is called ‘propositional truth’ and that means there is some distance between us and the thing we’re proposing. Remember our Creeds where we begin the words “We believe in…” From the early Christians to today that means “total trust.”

When we embrace Christ we die to our old way of living, and live by our faith in Jesus day by day. Unlike the crowds cheering on Blondin on the sidelines, our faith is more than that. We have a faith that is not merely believing that there is a God, but saying yes, there is a God!

Think of it this way: Blondin and his sweating manager safely crossed the falls. But here’s even better news: Jesus is the One who loves you and gave Himself for you. He’s worthy of your trust. And He won’t let you fall. You can trust in Him like your life depends on it!

So, on those days when our faith beckons us onto the wire, we do not walk alone or try to balance ourselves. Instead, we cling to Jesus, step-by-step. May our prayer be, “O Lord, let me never attempt one step without you. May I draw near to you in faith today and every day and when my steps don’t work, I know you will carry me across the wire. AMEN.