doesn’t that photo just SCREAM “may” to you? no, not really. but there is a good story behind it...
last week was a rough week. and my friend dina was telling me about a story that her pastor had told in his sermon this past weekend. she was not telling the story to make me understand anything about my own journey (or maybe she was and i don’t give her enough credit) BUT i totally identified with the story and it has really resonated with me and helped me so much to face this week in a much different way. so here is the story...
there was a man who came to an iced over river that he needed to cross. he couldn’t tell how thick the ice was so he very cautiously considered how to traverse this section of his journey. he decided that because he couldn’t trust the ice that he would crawl across the ice. slowly. carefully. fearful of any little cracks. face down. precariously. is that enough adjectives to describe his progression? let’s hope so...
anyway as he is so timidly and painfully inching his way across this ice he hears some loud rumbling. and some cracking. and some stomping. and crashing sounds. and he looks into the distance to see a HUGE chariot pulled by several horses racing along this river of ice. and the ice though it cracks a bit at the surface continues to hold this huge chariot that is journeying down the ice river. confidently.
so the man realizes that he doesn’t have to crawl on the ice. he doesn’t have to be fearful of every little crack. or every small movement. a chariot has raced by. the ice is strong. the ice will hold. the man stands. he walks. he runs. he jumps up and down on the solid solid ice. he does a couple of cartwheels and a double flip with a twist. (dina might have left that part out of the story. i like to embellish.)
last week i was that man. crawling. praying with every little inch that the ice would hold. distrusting every crack. thinking that any minute i would plunge into the freezing cold water. and i don’t like freezing cold water. or plunging.
but i am constantly reminded that i have seen mighty chariots drive across this ice. i have seen almost every friend i have making their own different but equally perilous journey and come to the other side strong. victorious. and not soaking wet and half frozen to death. i have even seen friends driving things that were more like SEMI TRUCKS over this ice. and it holds. because it isn’t ice. it is the Rock eternal.
Isaiah 26:3-4
You will keep in perfect peace
those whose minds are steadfast,
because they trust in you.
Trust in the LORD forever,
for the LORD, the LORD Himself,
is the Rock eternal.
i don’t have to crawl with my face to the ground. dreading each little crack. thinking that the next moment might find me drowning and freezing. the center holds together. it is stronger than death. it is secure. it is foundational. He holds all things together. forever...
Colossians 1:16-17
For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,
whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;
all things have been created through Him and for Him.
He is before all things,
and in Him all things hold together.