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September 28, 2005

Get in the Wheelbarrow

You've heard or read the story, I'm sure, about the guy who watches a tightrope walker go across Niagara Falls and back. Crowd cheers when the walker says he'll do it again pushing a wheelbarrow. They watch as he makes the trip over the Falls and back, never losing his balance. They cheer again when the daredevil says he'll push the wheelbarrow full of heavy rocks across and back...and he makes it without breaking a sweat. Then he asks the crowd, "Do you believe I can cross the Falls on a wire?" "Yes!!" they respond. "Do you believe I can cross the Falls pushing a wheelbarrow?" They again shout their agreement. "Do you believe I can push it with a load of rocks?" In a frenzy now, they all agree. "Do you believe I can walk across and back pushing the wheelbarrow with a person in it?" The crowd cheers crazily. "Then, who'll get in the wheelbarrow?"
That's where I think I have arrived in life. Things good and bad, happy and sad, all woven into the life that is mine. Much of that I have to admit was on my own strength and under my own direction. Many times the Lord has brought that story to mind, even having a friend of mine come up to me after church one day and tell me that the Lord was calling me into the wheelbarrow...he didn't even know why he felt led to share that. But I did.
After spending 27 hours on the road, a feat I would never have attempted under normal circumstances, I'm humbled by the hand of God on me. I would like to say that I had such complete confidence in Jesus to get me through that I never worried a bit. I'd be lying. When hard times come and circumstances beyond my control are staring me down, it's hard,if not impossible, for me not to blink. Having survived the ordeal with the knowledge of God's mighty arm around me, my confidence in Him is soaring like a candidate's approval rating after a rousing speech. I haven't arrived yet.
But I'm ready to get into the wheelbarrow.

2 comments:

Hoots Musings said...

What a great analogy! I need to hop in the wheelbarrow and trust.
I resigned from my job (the job from Hades), and I am stressing out about money, etc. Today, I had two separate emails that said, BE STILL AND KNOW I AM GOD!

Guess God knows best, so I will, as I hop in the wheel barrow.

CottonSr said...

Great little analogy Granna. We've talked about all of this. This is exactly why we're here. This stuff and nothing else. I still scratch and cry too easily, but also, as I unwillingly go through whatever, I do look at myself and life and God and think what I can do with all this. Life is for learning, then we graduate.