The Wheelbarrow

I came across this story last year while I was on the road to trusting God with my life.

The Wheelbarrow Story goes something like this:

Charles Blondin was a famous tightrope walker in the 1800's.  He had done amazing stunts all over the world and had never fallen.  His manager had seen him perform many times.  The two men came to Niagara Falls where Blondin would string a rope across the raging falls.  Many people came to watch him as he walked the rope.  He walked blindfolded.  He walked on stilts.  He rode a bicycle.  The crowd was very impressed.  Charles Blondin then pushed a wheelbarrow across the falls on the tightrope.  His manager, who had seen him many times do these tricks, was there.  Blondin asked this man if he trusted that he could push the wheelbarrow back to the other side of the falls.  "Of course!  I have seen you do this before.  You have never fallen!  Of course, I believe you can do this.  I trust you."

And Blondin said, "Then get in the wheelbarrow."

Wait-WHAT?!?!

I have known God my entire life.  I have believed in Him.  I have believed His word. 

But I found that believing and trusting are not one in the same.  It wasn't an easy thing to do.  To make a decision to get in the wheelbarrow.  It was, in fact, the scariest thing I've ever done.  And I continue to make that choice each morning.

Safety should not be our god.

The safest place to be is with God Himself. 

Who am I?

I recently went on a search to figure out who I was.  Not in an Eat, Pray, Love kind of way (yes, I have the book, no I haven't read it or seen the movie.)  There is a great song that says: "I don't think Hank done it this way."  I don't think Julia Roberts done it this way, either.
 
I searched and found these descriptions in Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians and Timothy.  This isn’t me being arrogant.  I certainly don’t deserve this identity and could never have earned it.  These are truths from the Word of God. 

I am justified

No condemnation awaits me

I am set free from the law of sin that leads to death

I am made holy and acceptable 

I am righteous

I will be made alive at the resurrection

I am a new creation

I receive God's righteousness

I am one with other believers

I am blessed with every spiritual blessing

I am holy and blameless

I am God's child

I am FORGIVEN

I am under Christ's authority

I belong to God by the Holy Spirit

I have been raised up to sit with Christ in glory

I am God's work of art

I am near to God

I am promised blessings

I can come with freedom and confidence into God's presence

I am a member of Christ's body, the Church

I am made complete

I am set free from our sin nature

I have eternal glory

There are times that I certainly don't feel these truths with my emotions and my brain can't quite comprehend a few of them even on my good days.

But God says they are true.

And so they are.

Tomorrow I will tell you a bit more about what I've learned in the past year.  About God.  About myself.  About His amazing promises. 

Until then,

Denise

Rise and Shine

“We can only appreciate the 

miracle of a sunrise

if we have waited in the darkness.”

-Author Unknown

I have waited in the darkness.  

I have waited alongside my husband and daughter.  Sitting quietly, whispering, and giggling.  Wondering, is it is our imaginations that it is getting lighter?   Or is the sunrise really near?

And then in glorious, slow motion we see the peak of this orange arch coming up over the bay.  And it gets bigger and bigger until we notice that we are no longer sitting in the dark.  We are no longer whispering or giggling.  We are in awe of the gift that God has presented to us.  Once again.

It is a new day.

And we are in love.  So many possibilities arise with the sun.  We are alive.

What are you waiting for?

“Arise, shine, for your light has come,

   and the glory of the LORD rises upon you."

Isaiah 60:1