by Larry Magnuson
Life can be hard sometimes. Frightening. Painful. In those times we can forget who holds us.
Our retreats in New York have a unique activity not offered in Colorado or Tennessee. We go rock climbing. Yup, ropes and all. Steve Prettyman, a 2007 alumni, does adventure training for Youth for Christ and offers his services for our New York retreats.
At our retreat in May, three couples did something they had never attempted before. One couple was in their early thirties and pregnant, one was in their forties, and another was in their fifties. All were apprehensive – maybe even scared. In the end, none of them would have missed it.
Safety is crucial in climbing. Once the harness is put on, the rope which is attached at the top of the climb is connected to the climber and to the one who will ‘belay’ the climber – everything is checked and rechecked.
The climber stands at the bottom of what often seems like an impossible climb. Before he begins, he looks at the person holding the other end of the rope and asks, “On belay?” When ready, the belayer responds, “Belay on!” The climb can be hard and falls can happen. While there are often scraped knees and elbows, the climber is safe in the hands of the one at the other end of his rope.
As we remind those who attend our retreats, the most frequent promise in Scripture is “I will be with you!” Perhaps as we begin each new day with the challenges and struggles that lie ahead it would be good for us to pause and remember who holds our life rope. Perhaps to even whisper the simple prayer, “On belay?” and listen for the Spirit to reply, “Belay on!”
Every one of the six people who climbed reached the top. Often their belayer gave words of help or encouragement as the climb progressed. The more the communication between climber and belayer, the safer the climb and the more trust would build.
In your climb through life, are you trusting the one who holds the other end of your rope? Are you talking with Him often? Is trust building as a result?
On belay? Belay on!