Sunday, September 4, 2011

Afraid of Heights


I am afraid of heights.

As I have aged and joined the ranks of motherhood this fear has increased.

It's a wonder that I'm the daughter of a roofer, who spent much of his adulthood tarring pitch on tops of buildings and climbing ladders up, up, up...

That fear and so many more have amplified these last number of years.

The other night we took the kids to a new play area and the boys spotted the webbed climbing net from the road...



They couldn't wait to climb...

They must take after their Papa...

Joe went down to cast a line in the canal and I plopped on the bench and opened the 
new read I couldn't wait to dive into that was just delivered to my door a few hours prior. 

Butterflies flutter in my gut as I glance up at Jonah, already up to the top... 



And as I skim the pages in my new read,  as panic tries to rear it's ugly head...I see these words black and bold printed right under my nose,

"I see a woman teetering on a tightrope, holding a long pole as she tries to balance herself in light of the truth of God.  It takes concentration, it takes work and it takes a whole lot of faith....Situations come up and cause us to tip a little, and we cry out in fear.  We often feel like just as we get it figured out, the wire begins to shake and we have to adjust it all over again.  ....What are we depending on when we start to tip?"

I glance over at Ayla she is balancing...reaching out and grabbing at the pole before she cautiously steps to the little platform


And the words I am reading are now visual as I picture myself carefully reaching and balancing, ...

and I am inspired to reach up in faith to my Heavenly Father as I take my next step...

And a bit of courage bursts through as I jump to my feet and run up to the web.  I am heedful as I step up but nevertheless I climb rope by rope all the way to the top!   

Invigorated and feeling like a kid again as I take in the view...



Maybe I did inherit a bit of my daddy in me after all...


2 comments:

Meg said...

I am also reading What Women Fear!! I love Angie Smith! I am just a couple chapters in but am really enjoying it and have been challenged by it as well. Happy reading, be blessed beauty!

Anonymous said...

Wow, go YOU!