Pastor s Column: Tight rope walker
By BRUCE PORTER
Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church
Summer was a special time for me when I was little. That's when the little circus came to town. It was great fun to go and watch all of the animals and performers. The show was exciting and inspirational to say the least. I remember talking to my big brother after we got home about my favorite act — the tight rope walkers. I thought nothing could be more fantastic than to walk on that thin, almost invisible wire, high above the ground. To my surprise, my brother didn't laugh; he simply and in a very matter of fact manner said, "You could do that."
I was stunned. "You really think so?" I asked with more than a little enthusiasm.
"Sure. Not a problem" was his confident reply. After which he led me out to the garage to retrieve a good sized length of rope. Finding ourselves back in our bedroom, I watched with wonder as my brother confidently tied one end of the rope to his bedpost and the other end to mine.
Having pulled the rope taunt, he proclaimed, "There. Now, get up on the end of the bed, step on the rope, and walk across. You can do it!"
Only later did I figure out that my brother really didn't know anything at all about tight rope walking. I mean, how much can a seven-year-old know anyway? My confidence in his expertise at that moment was strong, but little did I know that just because someone acts like they know something doesn't mean they really do.
Putting my trust in my brother's self-proclaimed knowledge, I gingerly placed my foot over the rope and let it hover there for more than a moment. Finally I committed myself to the daring feat and stepped out onto the rope. With what little weight I had, probably all of 40-50 pounds tops, the rope suddenly gave way, pulling the two beds together and squeezing my tiny frame between them. Thankfully it was only a mere few feet to the floor and the beds didn't do any permanent harm to my wiry little body (Although I am still pretty thin).
I suppose the point is, life is tough enough without trusting in and following bad advice from other people who don't know much more than you do. That's why one of my favorite verses in the Bible is, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not depend on your own understanding (Or any one else's for that matter — my comment). Seek God's will in everything you do, and He will direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6
Now that's some good advice!
