This Whole Monkey Bar Thing

We got to keep Avery this past weekend.  While she was here we decided to take her to the park where we took her mama and her uncles when they were her age.  She loved it and had a great time.

At one point though she saw the monkey bars.  She said with a sad voice that the kids at school could do the monkey bars but she couldnt. 
So Poppa said "Well, I will teach you."  He attempted to show her while she hung there. 

 However, she wasnt really into it.  What I mean is, she wanted to be into it.  She attempted to try it.  But basically her fears were holding her back.  He continued to reassure her that he was there and would catch her if she fell.  But it resulted in her just saying.  "I cant"  (Insert sad voice)   :(

We moved on to the climbing wall, where she was also fearful.  She would do it but only this high.

 I remember when she didnt even want to swing.  She was scared of that too.  But now she swings well.  Again, not too high...

 We ran, and played and had so much fun.

She decided we should play JAIL.  Poppa was the prisoner and she and I were the jail keepers.  Believe me, if she grows up to be a warden, you DO NOT want to be a prisoner.  I am not even kidding.

After a while Mark and Paige showed up and brought Bella with them. Avery was really happy about that.

 

She mentioned the whole monkey bar thing to Mark and he, like Todd, said he would teach her. This time she got a little braver and braver.

 She would let go and squeal in fear, then reach out and grab the next bar, let go, fearfully squeal, and grab the next one.  Little by little letting go of her fear.

 She made it all the way through!  SUCCESS!!!!

 I was so proud.  She was proud too.  She mentioned something before we left;  she may need to help some little kid learn how to do the monkey bars since she knew how to do them now.   :)

As I was thinking about this later, I realized this monkey bar thing has many comparisons to our lives as adult Christians.  We sometimes just dont think we can do something.  Maybe its something that God has shown us to do or we feel that we need to do.  However, its way way outside of our comfort zone.  Its like God is right there with us.  He's right there.  His arms are outstretched ready to catch us if we fall.  He is guiding us, coaching us, compelling us forward.  Right there, never leaving us alone in it.  But we are afraid.  Afraid of what might happen. 

• WHAT IF I FALL
• WHAT IF I FAIL
• WHAT IF I GET HURT
• WHAT IF YOU DON'T CATCH ME

He is right there assuring us that He's got us.  But it takes letting go of where we are.  It takes reaching forward to the next place, and letting go once again to get where you want to be. It takes risk, trust, and faith, little by little letting go of our fear.  But once we just give it up, and go for it--
Once we do it we find that we dont fall.  Or even if we do fall, we land on our feet, and start again. 
As a matter of fact, after we move on to a new place, turns out we may get the chance to help somebody else who is attempting to move forward too.