I was doing my weekly 3 minute review of what I’m supposed to consider important (scanning the news headlines) when I came across an article and video that actually made me open it in a fresh tab.
Nik Wallenda walked across this wire and became the ‘first person to cross the Grand Canyon on a type wire’.
Before I even read the article I started contemplating deep things about myself. Would I ever do this? Though I walk with Jesus, do I really have assurance of salvation (ie. If I were to fall from that wire, would I end the fall in heaven?)?
Then I watched the video and was interested to note that most of what he was saying while he walked was “Thank you, Jesus.” Apparently Nik has assurance of salvation. Many Christians would probably come down on me hard for encouraging such irresponsible behaviour and quote the scripture, ‘”Thou shalt not test the Lord thy God.” To them I would say, “When was the last time thou stepped out of the boat and walked on the water?”
The act Nik performed might be perceived as insanity, but I suggest that we evaluate whether some of the things we do are insane. Some people are insanely safe. They hate their day jobs but they keep them because it’s safe. They have always wanted to start a business or try something different but it’s ‘just too risky’. I especially see this with government employees. Many of these people take these jobs and all the associated nonsense because they perceive their path as the wiser and safer path (Pension, benefits, job security, etc). I serve a lot of these fine folk coffee every day and last month another wave of cuts hit their department (it hit at least two major Federal Government departments in our building) and most of them are watching their lifetime colleagues getting picked off one by one – not my idea of safe or stable.
But not our Nik Wallenda.
He, on his own accord, got out of the boat and started walking. Nick took the ‘unsafe’ path and lives to tell about it (with videos on You Tube to prove it) while the rest of us watched from the sidelines.
Good for you, Nik. As tempting as it is to run back to the safety of solid ground, you have inspired me to continue in faith – not only down the narrow and difficult path of life with Jesus – but also in every part of my life so that one day I, too, might be able to kiss the solid rock of security on which I stand and look back on the exciting journey with satisfaction of a life well lived.