Trusting the Fall

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1, NIV).

I shared with you last week about my adventures at the climbing gym. Though I was sharing about learning to pause, I left out a pretty important part of the story. That’s what I want to reflect upon today.

Before we began to climb, my friends walked me through the process of attaching the carabiner and rope to the climbing harness, including important safety checks to be certain the gear would hold in the event of a fall from the wall. After going through this step-by-step process several times and doing multiple safety checks, I was ready to begin.

When I initially placed a hand and foot on the climbing holds, I did so with confidence. I knew that if I were to make a mistake, my belay partner, who is also a very trustworthy friend, would be able to rely on the gear, as well as her body weight, to control my fall. As I shared with you previously, while initially climbing the yellow route, I moved too quickly and fell from the wall. Not once, but multiple times.

Thankfully, these falls did not result in injury or harm because, as I learned that day from my friends, the most important part of the climbing process had taken place at the beginning by ensuring a proper and safe setup. As I climbed and each time I fell off the wall, I distinctly remember hearing my friend call out to me, “I got you, Katie,” which let me know I was safe. Having a belay partner that you trust is critically important while climbing.

With climbing, as is the case in life, even when we pause and make the next best decision, it doesn’t guarantee that we won’t fall or fail. Maybe we lose our footing, maybe our grip gets tired, and we can’t hold on any longer, or maybe the next climbing hold is just out of reach, and the only way to successfully make the climb is to release our grip and start over. Isn’t life so much like that at times?

When I reflect on my life and my walk with Christ, I look at the timeline of events that have occurred and, though I couldn’t fully understand them at the time, I can see now just how the Lord was aligning and connecting each of those steps. My brother’s ATV accident and deciding to follow the physical therapy career path, having my last clinical rotation changed at the last minute and taking my first job at KORT, buying my first home in Nicholasville, and so on. In life we pray, pause, and make decisions every single day, never fully knowing if it’s exactly the right move, but trusting the Lord will catch us if and when we fall. That’s what having faith is all about.

Hebrews 11:1 tells us: Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see (NIV). Our lives as followers of Jesus require us to make decisions daily that lead us to where we are today. What if I make the wrong decision? What if I fail? What if the choice I make hurts me or someone I know? I know in life, it often feels like we have more questions than answers. However, when we live with confident hope and the assurance of believing and trusting in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, taking each of those steps becomes much less scary.

Climbing is such a metaphor for faith. You make one move at a time, each of them connected in a way that propels you from one hold to the next, allowing you to make an ascent up the wall until you make it to the top. That day at the gym, I was reminded of Hebrews 11:1. Though I wasn’t able to see my belay partner, the faith I had placed in her allowed me trust the fall. As I confidently worked on making an ascent up the wall, I knew she would provide the safety and support I needed if I made a mistake that led to me falling from the wall. Our lives as followers of Jesus are much the same way. When we place our faith in Him, we can know, with confidence, that regardless of the mistakes we make, He will always be there to catch us when we fall.

Because He is faithful, I am fearless. Because He is my hiding place, I am protected. Because He is my refuge, I am safe. Because He is love, I am loved.

The first of the “events” in the timeline I mentioned earlier happened in 2003. Fast forward to 2021, and I still find myself looking back, in awe, on all that God has done over the last eighteen years of my life. I experienced a lot of praying, pausing, tough decisions, and hard work, each of them connected in ways I couldn’t have imagined.

The next time I go climbing, I’ll reflect again on Hebrews 11:1. I will be reminded that every decision I make, when made with Jesus as my guide, refuge, and place of safety, will lead me toward my ultimate goal, which is to become more like Him. As I do so, I am certain He will allow me to climb to new heights I never imagined. And I know He wants the same thing for you.