Reflections from Iain Anderson, our Support Manager.
Over the summer, in a rash moment of feeling we needed to be active, we booked a family climbing lesson, where we were taught the basics on the climbing walls. One of the things we were taught was how to belay each other up and down the wall - that is, being the person on the ground controlling the rope the climber is attached to. Essentially, you are responsible for taking the slack out of the rope as your companion climbs, ensuring if they lose their grip, the rope will stop them falling - but without taking it in so much that you are just pulling them up the wall. It’s obviously an important job in terms of not letting your climbing companion fall, but also in terms of offering encouragement and sometimes direction. Often the person on the ground belaying can see the next handhold or the way forward when it isn’t as obvious stuck halfway up the wall, too close to see the whole picture.
For me personally, God has often been like the one doing the belaying in my life. He gives me enough slack to climb but doesn’t just haul me up without me having to be involved or making choices and decisions about where I’m heading (for better or worse). He has hold of the rope to ensure that if, or rather when, I do slip or lose my grip, I don’t fall too far. For me, in those moments in life where I’ve got genuinely stuck and haven’t been able to see the
way forward or the next foothold, He has been there to encourage and guide:
“Maybe change tack and try another way“
”You’re doing well, keep going”
“You can’t see it yet, but there’s something firm to hold on to just ahead of you”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got you - I’m not going to let you fall”
Sometimes, when the climbing is easy, I hardly notice the rope is there. I can get overconfident that I can make it to the top on my own and I forget that God is still doing His bit. However at other times, when I can't see the way forward and can feel my grip slipping, the feeling and knowledge that the rope and the one holding the other end can take my weight, can be the only security and reassurance I have. And even then, I don't always find it easy to put all our weight on it, let go and trust.
So perhaps the questions to ask ourselves are, Who (or what) is holding your rope? How much trust and faith do you put in it and does it let you climb with both confidence and freedom? How can we support each other when we encounter life's tough overhangs and slippery handholds? And can we encourage one another to keep moving forward, despite the inevitable slips and falls along the way?
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