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"Faith jumps in the wheelbarrow."

I think this illustration has been circulated already, so you'll probably get it before I reach the end of the explanation. But for whatever reason it really struck me on Sunday morning, and it's been in my head a lot.

Illustration:
There's a tight-rope-walker who sets up his show over the Niagara Falls. He walks over and back, then does it using different items to balance himself. He asks the cheering crowd if they think he can do it with a wheelbarrow, and they shout, "Yeah! Yeah! DO IT!" So he does. Then he asks if they think he can do it with a full load of things, and again they cheer him on. And again, he makes it. He asks if they believe he can make it with a person in the wheelbarrow and they cheer. So he asks for a volunteer. The crowd goes silent.

Real faith jumps in the wheelbarrow. It doesn't just believe that the guy can take someone across in a wheelbarrow; it acts on it. It puts itself in the care of whatever it's depending on. The wheelbarrow, the rope, the guy. Faith jumps in. :)

I'd been struggling with something as of late. A question of, "Where is the line? Have I passed it? Am I pushing it? Am I being over-sensitive? Am I making trouble where there isn't any?" I'd been praying for a few days for God to help me, to show me. He did this morning. Not the way I'd have chosen to be sure, but it was an answered prayer, and I can honestly say I'm thankful for it (only by God's good grace).

You may wonder what that has to do with the tight-rope illustration. Well, I'll try to tie it in (pun intended). Faith doesn't only jump in the wheelbarrow. Faith STAYS in the wheelbarrow. Faith doesn't look around and think, like Peter, "This is crazy! I'm going to die!" and try to cross alone. Faith says, "I can't see where to go; I need You to push me. All I can hear is the roar of the water; I need Your voice to give instructions. I need Your help not to flail, not to fear, else I'll make this trip rough and bumpy for myself when in Your hands it could be smooth." Faith puts it all with Him.

Now? It doesn't really matter if I had crossed a line. If I hadn't, it never hurts to be farther away from sin. If I had, God be thanked, praised, and adored that He already paid for it on the cross. I'm His girl. I don't know if guys really understand those words. I don't even know my dad understands what that means for me to be his girl. But I know my mama does. She was her dad's girl.

How stupid would it be to try to jump out of the wheelbarrow. It's only when we lose sight of who we are compared to Who He is. . . . He's not just an expert. He's Almighty God. He doesn't need to walk a tight-rope. He can turn it into a street of gold and fly if He wants. Even if it feels like I'm falling, or if I'm getting jarred about, as long as He's got the handles, I'm safe. And even if I can't feel Him directing, He's promised to never leave me. I'm always in His hands.

I'm His girl.