We recently had another tree cut
down in our yard. We’ve had many trees removed, so the process is not foreign
to me. However, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a human being more relaxed than
our fellow who did the job this time. He climbed the tree removing limbs as he
went, and then when he grew tired from using the chain saw, he’d pull out his
cell phone and I don’t know, scroll social media or something all while dangling sixty feet in the air. I couldn’t
believe how relaxed he was about the whole thing.
Apparently, I was not the only one amazed by his behavior
as one of my neighbors videoed the whole thing and showed it to her class at
school.
I told him later that he was
probably the most prayed for guy in our city that day. I had followed the apostle
Paul’s admonition to pray without ceasing the whole time he was up there.
But oh, what a lesson his
behavior was.
I think of the times that
metaphorically I was left hanging in some difficult and even scary circumstance,
not knowing the outcome, and thinking the whole thing could go smashing to the
ground any second. If only I could consistently remember this guy and his calm
attitude in the face of danger. I want my trust and faith to be so strong, I am
not rattled by being caught swinging from a limb.
The Message renders Philippians 4:
6-7 this way, “Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions
and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns.
Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good,
will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ
displaces worry at the center of your life.”
Instead of concentrating on how
far the fall is, we can focus on the Lord and how strong his hold is. I’m sure
you’re like me and want Christ to displace the worries in your life, too.
I have a friend who used to sign off
on all his emails with “In His grip.” And that’s the thing, we hold on to him,
but more importantly He holds on to us, and his hold is unfailing.
So, let’s hand over what troubles us,
turning our eyes to Jesus, alone, and know that we are indeed in his grip.
(Check out our guy hanging in the tree about halfway down in the pic above. May God bless him and protect him in all his jobs.)