Flyer? or Catcher?

Many years go my mother and I traveled to Mexico for what turned out to be a final visit to places and people we had loved years earlier. We stayed one night in the home of some teachers who became our friends. I received the following story from them, and when I read it yesterday it was exactly what my soul needed.

What it means to trust God can be seen in the death-defying circus act of the high flying trapeze.

In this circus act there are two players, the flyer and the catcher. The flyer is the person who holds onto a swinging bar high above the ground, gaining momentum as he moves back and forth until he finally releases the bar and does a flip or two while hurtling through the air toward the catcher. Now the catcher is also swinging from a bar high above the ground, but he's hanging by his legs...upside down. The flyer is flying through the air while the catcher is getting ready to catch him.

There's something very important here. While tumbling through the air, in the direction of the catcher, the flyer must not try to catch the catcher. After all the flips and spins, he has only one thing left to do...hold out his arms to be caught. If the flyer panics and tries to grab the swinging catcher, the flyer will fail and fall to the ground.

So what does it take to be a successful flyer? Absolute confidence that the catcher is there. Absolute reliance on the catcher's ability. Absolute dependence on the catcher and no other. And absolute assurance the catcher will catch him. The flyer must trust the catcher with all his heart. (I'm leaving off the sermon. We can all figure it out!)

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

[Flying and Catching, (Adapted) By: Chuck Graham (A Note of Encouragement of 7/10/2006) A copyright interest held by Ciloa, Inc.]

My heart is still singing from a joyful encounter yesterday afternoon. Sarah, a precious friend from Michigan, surprised me at my office. (She's in town visiting a college friend.) I suppose we talked 1,000 words a minute. And she prayed for me. The sweet encouragement lingers.

"Let hope be the last thing you lose."

Love,
Carol