Henri Nouwen was a well-known Catholic priest and author.  He at one point spent time getting to know the members of an acrobatic troupe.  Among them were flyers and catchers.  Flyers captured the public eye as they soared through the air—they got all the applause. Catchers worked behind the scenes, lurking in the shadows, just out of view, waiting for the critical moment during the act when they reached out of the darkness to catch the flyer and bring them safely home. I can only imagine that the flyer was “very glad” every time that moment came.

Letting go and flying out into nothingness doesn’t come naturally to any human being.  Left to what comes natural, we’d never “climb the ladder”, much less have the courage to “jump”.

I suppose that’s what makes us spectators “ooh” and “ah” when we watch the remarkable performance going on above our heads.  We know what they are doing is very dangerous, that it doesn’t come naturally to anyone, and yet these flyers and catchers make it all look routine—like the outcome was never in doubt.

How is that humanly possible? Well I would think it would require:

Getting to know each other—very well. Flyers and catchers no doubt spent lots of time together.  I would image a troupe like that even lived together. A flyer had to know that the he could count on his catcher to do his job well. He had to trust that the catcher would place his undivided attention on the flyer while he was airborne—and that the catcher’s hands wouldn’t be slippery when they reached out to “bring him home.”  Otherwise, he would never have the courage to let go and fly.

Practicing together—a lot. Something this difficult to do only looks routine and effortless to the audience because the performers have put in long hours of practice together.  The flyer and the catcher have worked together, and have built a strong connection that enables trust between the two.

And even after all that, it’s probably not easy to let go. I would think those very human doubts never fully go away.  Yet the flyers summon the courage to overcome them and let themselves fly.  And the crowd goes wild…

I think his metaphor of flying and catching applies to our life with God:

It is by getting to know the reliability of our Divine catcher and practicing “our act” over and over again that we begin to train the fear out of us and actually believe we can “fly.” As those fears and doubts recede, the anchor is lifted, and we find ourselves free to soar trusting God to catch us and “bring us home”.

Alan Ward lives in Baltimore and tells the story of NASA Science for a living, but telling God’s story brings him fully alive. Many articles focus on how life experiences “shape” us and impact our relationship with God. His other callings are as husband to Laurie (a United Methodist pastor) and father to Becca and Brady. His writings can be found at Alan’s Corner: http://bigalscorner.blogspot.com.

As we continue our month long meditations on the Psalms I wanted to take today to remind myself (and readers) of what reading the Psalms teaches us about God’s character. I’m struck by the repeated reminders of his strength:

The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one. (Psalm 28:8)

The LORD is the stronghold of my life– of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1b)

The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. (Psalm 18:2)

Over and over again the Psalmists refer to God as a “rock”, a “fortress”,  a “stronghold”, a “refuge”.   I take comfort in that as I read the daily news or consider my family’s future in troubled times.  God is the same now, as he was when the Psalms were new.  He will be the same when my children and grandchildren are grown.

As a child I used to love visiting an historic fort in a nearby town. The fort served as a refuge for settlers and was never taken by force, though attacked many times. Enemy ships laid siege and armies attempted to take it by land. They burned the town, they ravaged the countryside, but could never gain access to the fort. It’s tall, thick, strong, masonry walls absorbed the impact of cannon fire and could not be breached. All who sheltered inside were safe. It’s still an imposing structure.

God is our mighty fortress. The battle is real and it rages outside. But God is at work all around, absorbing the impact of enemy fire that I feel, but which cannot hurt me as long as I’m safe within the stronghold. In him I “will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day.” (Psalm 91:5)

I am weak, but thankfully, He is strong!

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:1-2)

Karen Wilber serves as the Editor of the Jesus Boat Blog community.

Life happens and over the past several months a lot has been happening in my life. I have spent many days crying out and asking why and how and when the relief will come. I have felt despair and loss of hope. Like the Psalmist wrote, “In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help” (Psalm 18:6a, NIV).

I confess that after crying out to God, I wasn’t really sure how or if He would even respond. I was so wrapped up in the everyday lows that I assumed I would just be left there. But that is not what God wants for any of us.

This past week I started on week one of Rick Warren’s “40 Days in the Word”. Each day’s study featured a specific verse. To my surprise, each day’s verse was a direct word to my ears from God.  “From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears” (Psalm 18:6b, NIV).  Through this study, I’m learning and even re-learning that getting into the Bible and truly studying God’s Word requires consistent, no distraction, focus and time.

By committing my undivided attention to the Word of God, I found myself being lifted up and held in the reassuring arms of the Lord. “He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters” (Psalm 18:16). This morning I even found myself smiling as I turned the pages to read the verse of the day; it was a beautiful whisper from God straight into my heart.

God has a message of hope and love for each of us, but if we choose not to set aside time for Him, we will miss what He has to say. I’m rejoicing over the words of love that God sent me this week and I cannot wait to read more!

Scripture God Used In My Life This Week: Philippians 1:6, Philippians 1:27a, Philippians 2:13, Philippians 3:12b, Philippians 4:6, Philippians 4:13, and Philippians 4:19

Amanda Johnson is a freelance writer and a ministry assistant with a non-profit organization that reaches women across the world. She also serves as assistant editor with Ruby for Women, an online magazine for women of all ages. Her blog Forever In Him can be found at http://www.ajwrites4him.blogspot.com/

P.S.  Is there a verse that God has used to speak to you this week? Comment and share below.

Stillness is more than silence: it is absolute trust in God and having our souls at complete rest in Him. Psalm 46 supplies us with some powerful truths about the character of God. An intense nugget of wisdom is found in verse ten. “Be still and know that I am God.” Blaise Pascal said, ‘Most of man’s troubles come from his inability to be still.’ Quietness is essential to hearing and knowing God.

Sometimes we are so busy enduring our anxieties and past failures, we lose the joy of a calm and peaceful heart. In order to know God more, we must intentionally withdraw from the world’s noise and its’ clamoring activities. As we center our  thoughts upon our Creator, He will fill our emptiness. In silence, the prophet Elijah was able to hear the ’still, small voice’ of the Lord. He promises to quiet us with His love (Zep 3:17).

“In quietness and confidence shall be your strength” (Isa 30:15). Jesus taught, “The man who lives on me, will live because of me” (John 6:57 Phillips). He assured his followers that in their patience, they would possess their souls (Luke 21:19). Christ enacted this truth when He was unjustly scourged, beaten and whipped. “He was led to the slaughter like a lamb, and opened not His mouth” (Isa 53:7). He trusted in the unseen caretaker.

We can know our Father’s desires, when we lay aside our own self-effort, plans and ambitions. Our most profound needs will be met as we willfully choose to set our affections on things above and wait upon Him for guidance. As we allow the Lord to lead us beside still waters, we can expect a satisfied and serene mind. “To the listening ear He speaks, to the waiting heart He comes” (Two Listeners, God Calling).

Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are truly blessed
Finding as He promised, perfect peace and rest     — Frances Havergal

Anna Darlene Free Edmondson and her husband make their home in Tifton, Ga USA. where they raised their children Annalee, Elijah, Luke and Gabriel.  Her joy is bird and deer watching.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. (Psalm 119:105)

Barely two minutes after entering the exhibit, I found myself huddled in a dark dead end, surrounded by frightened 5-year-olds.  Our crawl through the museum’s “Touch Tunnel” was fun–until it wasn’t.

The newest exhibit at our local children’s museum is not for the claustrophobic nor the faint of heart.  The popular “Touch Tunnel” is a pitch black maze that draws kids like a magnet.  My son, and 3 of his friends, could hardly wait for their turn.

The entrance swallowed us into an inky darkness, our knees bumping up padded ramps, our hands brushing against carpeted walls as we navigated the turns.  But light-hearted giggles became worried whines when the group realized we’d run into a dead end.  The kids grabbed onto my sleeves and refused to move.

It was then that I reached into my pocket and drew out the small flashlight that the museum docent had slipped to me just before we entered.  I pressed a button and a tiny light pushed back the darkness. The kids saw that the correct path lay just to our left and the game was on again.  As long as they stayed near the light, they could proceed without fear.

For those paralyzed by darkness, even a little light brings great relief.  The Psalmist speaks of God’s word as the light that guides our steps in this world.  We can’t see far into the future and darkness threatens to close in, but Scripture–the light at our feet–keeps us from stumbling here and now.

Jesus, the fulfillment of Scripture, entered our dark world to become our guiding light.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the darkness. (John 12:46)

Dark diversions might appear to be fun, but they’ll lure you into dead ends where you can’t feel your way out.  Stay close to the Light and walk with him through Scripture reading and prayer as he guides your steps.  Then share and shine his light so that others may also find the way and rejoice with you.

Karen Wilber serves as the Editor of the Jesus Boat Blog community.