“Just lean back, honey,” trust the rope and the protection. You’ll be OK,” my husband assured me. I was taking a rock climbing class and learning how to rappel off of an eight foot rock where the group of students practiced tying ropes, placing our feet on the nubbins of rock faces, and leaning back on the protection and walking down the face of the rock. This rock was only eight feet high, but it seemed like forever. My mind told me DANGER! Yet I knew I would be alright if I trusted the rope. It would hold me. I just had to convince my mind it would. Finally, I leaned back and walked down the side of the rock. Then I graduated to a steeper rappel. Fifty feet. Wow! Now I really had to trust. My son was at the top, encouraging me, “Come on Mom, you can do it!”  My husband was at the bottom, encouraging me as well. I just had to trust. At last I did as instructed. I leaned back and trusted the rope and protection. Later I was rewarded with a “great job, Shirley” by the instructors–and my son and husband.

That was a long time ago and my stomach clenches even now when I remember that terrifying task.

Early this week I was struggling with a different kind of task and wondered if I could finish it. I wrote to my editor and told her I was weary and didn’t know if I could finish. She pointed out that perhaps I’d been trying to do this project on my own. You see, I believe God had called me to write this story of a family who’d suffered a tragedy and how they, with God, were able to survive the grief and live again. That’s when I read this passage:

“Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest. 29 Accept my teaching.[a] Learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit. And you will be able to get some rest. 30 Yes, the teaching that I ask you to accept is easy. The load I give you to carry is light” (Matthew 11:29 ERV).

I realized I was attempting to muscle through this story on my own strength. I was reminded to not take on this assignment that I believe God was giving me by myself, but with his help.

After so many years, I still need to be reminded to not do projects on my own strength. Similar to  trusting the anchor and rope when climbing and rappelling.

How about you? Do you sometimes feel you’ve been given a task you can’t complete on your own strength, yet you feel God has called you to do it? If you are a student, it could be a research paper or test you’re preparing to take. If a teacher, perhaps a class you must complete this summer to for your required clock hours. Or, like me, a writer who believes she’s been given a story to write and feels inadequate for the job.

You are not alone. Just as I had to lean back and trust the protection. I had to trust I would not writing this story alone, but with the One who I believed asked me to complete the story.

I’ve not finished my task, but I’m getting closer. In the meantime, I’m going to “lean back, and trust the protection” of the task I’ve been given. Not alone, but with Christ.

Enjoy the song below.

It’s a beautiful day outside here in my part of the world. I hope it is your way as well. Keep on the task you’ve been given!

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