Steps

I am not good with heights.  My heart knows it shouldn’t be out on a ledge.  My imagination uses everything to vision the future – heights takes great dreams to catastrophic nightmares!  Even now when I close my eyes it is easy to revisit daytime horrors which continue to linger in the depths of my mind.  I find myself falling in hundreds of different ways, always land with a quick intense ending.  Waking up in cold sweats or finding my self standing near a ledge sweating on a cold day is far more common than I am willing to acknowledge.
 
Ironically the physical fear and nightmare doesn’t end at the ledges of my life.  Metaphorically I find myself questioning the foundations I now stand on.  It is a healthy process because I continue to find false gods, elaborate charades, and painted masks.  I think I am standing on firm ground yet the truth is far more difficult!  When the warning came of old “the Day is coming when their fortress cities will be abandoned—the very same cities that the Hivites and Amorites abandoned when Israel invaded! And the country will be empty, desolate.  And why? Because you have forgotten God-Your-Salvation, not remembered your Rock-of-Refuge.”  (Isaiah 17.9, 10a)  I know I need to pay attention.  My steps may not be as strong as I think.
 
It isn’t hard to how strong the foundation or step one stands on is.  The secret lies in open, honest, and thoughtful reflection.  This is no time to ignore the truth.  This is exactly when we need to invest in moving forward with faith grounded in solid values and principles.  Understanding the step of our ladder is crucial if one wants to be able to leap for opportunities.
 
In the cool light of a spring morning it is easy to imagine reflection, pauses, and time.  The city is just waking, everything is possible!  Yet it’s easy to be caught in the rush of what lies ahead.  In this moment we can take a step, even if it means looking under our feet.