Tightrope walking

This picture spoke to me the other night as I was looking for something to write on our chalk board. I keep a chalk board in the back hallway near the kitchen with a verse on it. Sometimes for memorization, others for encouragement. Although most of the kids cannot read yet, I hope to be in the habit of writing verses around our house for when they can.

 That night after I picked it out I had a dream/vision. I told Mike I'm not really sure which because in my half asleep state I don't know which it would qualify as haha! It was a person on a tightrope walking along. Now if that's not a narrow path I don't know what is! As I watched this person on the tightrope I thought about how one misstep and they would plummet to whatever was below. Then I thought about how us Christians treat our life.
Do we treat our narrow path like a tightrope?
Do we take our steps carefully?
Do we weigh where our feet go setting our eyes on the end of the road?
Do we realize that a misstep could be our demise? Yes, there is Gods grace to pick us up when we fall, but are we relying on that so we don't need to be as cautious or is it there for when we lose our balance despite best efforts?

The verse this quote comes from (Matt 7:13-14) says "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

The image of a gate is a very different one for me. When I think of us as entering heaven through a narrow gate it reminds me of all of the baggage we carry around each day. Everything from the resentment of past hurts to the things we "need" to our obligations are all weight on our shoulders. Mike did a sermon a bit ago about us trading our burdens for Jesus' because his are light. "Come to Me all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yolk upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matt 11:28-30).

 

Can you imagine trying to enter through the narrow gate with this load on your back? I'm sure you can find a gate to fit through but is it really the one you want? The bible says that the broad gate (the one you would fit through with all your "stuff" on your back) leads to destruction and many go by it. Wow! What a picture. Drop your baggage and fit through the narrow gate that leads to life. Keep it, don't fit through the narrow gate, and enter the broad one that leads to destruction. Is your (job, stuff, music, emotional baggage) really worth it?

 

 

I just love how reading the same verse a different way can give such different pictures but with the same end goal. The path is a narrow one. Take careful thought to how you are walking if you truly want to make it to the end of the tightrope. The gate is a narrow one. Let go of that baggage so you will fit through the opening.

 

Either way a challenging but worth it end goal to me.

 

~Carly