Leaning Left
Reflective Reading: Proverbs 3
Charles Blondin was the greatest tightwire walker in the world. He came up with the idea to walk a tightwire stretched from the US to Canada above Niagara Falls. Thousands gathered on each side as he headed out with his pole and crossed over to the Canadian side. Then he turned around and walked back to the American side. As the crowds cheered, he stood on an elevated stand and said,
“How many believe that I could walk back across to Canada with a man on my shoulders?”
“We know you can they shouted!”
“Then may I have a volunteer?”
Not one hand went up. So Blondin turned to his manager and asked,
“Do you believe I can do this?”
His manager said, “Yes!” So he climbed onto his shoulders, and they headed across the void for Canada. Suddenly, one of the guy wires snapped. The wire began to sway, and Blondin spoke these words:
“Unless you do exactly what I say, unless you become one with me and do exactly what I tell you, we are both going to die. If the wire sways to the right and your gut tells you to lean left but you feel me leaning right, you’ve got to go with me.”
The manager surrendered every instinct he had to his client’s words. And they made it.
What an illustration of our trust in God. Are you trusting in your own instincts? Proverbs 3 says,
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding, but in all your ways, KNOW Him.”
Are you currently in the midst of a difficult decision? Don’t lean to your own understanding…focus on knowing Him, and he will direct your paths. If the Word of God is telling you to go to the right but your feelings are influencing you to lean left, go with God, and do not “lean” to your own understanding.
Sincerely,
Mark Hamby
M.S., M.Div., Th. M., D. Min.
Recommended Reading:
Trusty Faces His Fears (Ages 4+)
Little Miss Moth (Ages 6+)
Robber’s Cave book/audio drama (Ages 9+)
Escape from the Eagle’s Nest (Ages 12+)
