Belay Ready....Climb Away

This weekend I took the kids on our first of many retreats together. As their new youth pastor, I have loved getting to know them, but am still trying to figure them out and find out who they really are. What makes them tick? What do they like? What do they hate? On Friday night, we had a great night together. We played games, we roasted hot dogs, made smores, sang worship songs, and had devotions together. We went back to our respective dorms, and I have no idea what the guys did for the rest of the night, but us girls had fun. We laughed and joked around for a while and then it was time to go to sleep. Now, for those of you who dont know me, most of the time, Im a pretty big softy, I dont like to make people sad or hurt their feelings, so its VERY HARD for me to discipline, however, I have learned, that I can and HAVE TO do it sometimes. And when its midnight and this little red head needs some sleep for the busy day ahead, she can be very true to her hair color :) I only had to "speak firmly" to the girls once about allowing those who wanted to, to get some sleep. They all decided it was time for bed and the giggles and loudness gave way to the peaceful silence :)

The next day, because we were all well rested, morning was not that difficult to awake to. We were headed to the ropes course. The kids would do a zipline, climb a wall with team work, a leap of faith, and climb a rock wall. This is where the real fun was and where I learned tons of lessons. Both about the kids and applications to take with me in life.

This is where we used the term, "Belay Ready"...""Climb Away". I was so proud of the kids too. I wanted to tell you a couple of stories about them and what I learned from this weekend. First of all, I had a curiosity. I wanted to what this "Belay" word meant. What was it all about. So I asked one of the workers. He told us that "Belay" meant, 'Lifeline', it was from the French language. Now, Im kind of a skeptic at times, so I did my research to make sure he was right on his facts, before I placed them on my blog :) And sure enough, one of the meanings is 'lifeline', there are other meanings too, but I will allow you to look those up on your own. The meaning I wanted to discuss was 'lifeline'. I am the type of person that if I can, I will use annalogies or stories from life to help me and other understand the walk with God more. So of course, I began to think about this in our walk with Christ, God being the ultimate lifeline to us. But also, how at times, I have been called to be that lifeline to someone else and allow God to use me as such. And finally, to admit that there are times where I need a lifeline too, and God has been there but has also used others to be there as my lifeline as well. So when the kids were going to climb up to do something, they had a "contract", they were connected to the "Belay", they would say "belay ready" to which they would reply, "belay ready", they woulds say "climbing" and the "belay" would say, "climb away". This person was connected to whoever was climbing with another rope, it was up to them to anchor the person climbing. It was all a very safe procedure, but scary none the less. You have to trust someone you dont know very well to hold you while you jump and trust that the rope is going to hold you securely. And for all of the kids, of course, IT DID!

Cody is one of our middle schoolers. He is 11 years old, in 6th grade, going to be 12 in December. I had known him and his family before moving to Sumner, but I am still very much getting to know who Cody is. At the retreat, I got to know Cody more. I learned that he loves to sing, he loves to talk, and he has alot of energy :) I also learned, that, even though he is scared, Cody is going to try something, hed rather fail trying than to just not try at all. This is a trait that I am still trying to develop. You see, if I know Im not good at something or think I wont be, Id rather just not try, to save myself the embarassment of failure. But this is not the way God has called us to live at all.

So Cody got a little scared while doing the zipline, but he made it to the top of the pole and had a great time swinging down to the other side. But the "Leap of Faith", well that would make anyonen scared I think. It is this very high telephone pole, complete with holds for you to climb on, when you get to the top, you must stand straight up and then jump, the object is to grab this trapeze bar that is set out in front of you. Cody climbed the pole, he got up to almost the top and then got scared, he froze, and he felt like he couldnt go anymore, so everyone else stopped what they were doing and they began to cheer for him. "Come on Cody, we know you can do it", it was so sweet to see them all cheering for each other. Cody made it to the top, but he couldnt stand up, I was so proud of him for getting that far. So he looked down at me and I was giving him instructions, "Just scoot yourself forward, you will begin to fall off or jump and the rope will catch you." he said " Okay, Becky, so I just scoot forward and it will all be over?" he kept scooting an inch at a time, and then he jumped, right off the pole and HE WAS SAFE! It was scary, and uncomfortable, but he did it! I was so so proud of him. And I gave him a big hug when he got down there.

Then there was George. Now George is a foreign exchange student, he is 15 and he is from the country of Georgia. I have gotten to to know him fairly well and have learned that there is not much he is afraid of. He likes to work out everyday and he is going to be in wrestling. So for him, I thought this was a piece of cake. I figured he wouldnt be scared at all. And climbing this pole, he wasnt scared, he did a very great job, but then it came time to stand up when he was very high off of the ground, he did it, I saw his face change color a little, but he did it :) And then it was time to jump, he jumped and he actually grabbed the bar! The only one of our youth that did! But then came the funny part. George had the bar, he had taken the risk, all he had to do now was let go, but he knew that when he did, the harness would tighten and it was going to hurt, he just kept swinging there and holding on, not wanting to feel the pain from that harness. Hed start to let go and then grab it again, finally, he let go, and it hurt for a minute, but he was fine and it was the only way down.

I could share stories with you all day, but these are the 2 I wanted to share for right now. Im so proud of all of the kids that went this weekend and took risks and did things that they thought they couldnt do. Its so much like our walk with God and if they can see these things in a tangible way, I think its easier for them to understand and make the application to their lives and relationships with Christ.

For me, I identify with both of these stories in some ways. You see, God has called me into some very scary places, and I didnt think I could go, I didnt think I could do it at all. Much like Cody, I got to the top of the pole in my life and I froze, but, God put people in my life to cheer me on and help me the rest of the way. They were not always the people I thought they would be, but God put them there and they cheered me on and they helped me jump off that pole and when I got down, they were there to hold me and care for me. Im so thankful for that.

There are other times in life. where I have been like George, I took the risk, I took all the steps, I did what God wanted me to do, and while I was so excited and there was great reward, I knew that there would be some pain involved in letting go as well. Weather it was letting go of things in my past, so I could have the reward of the things ahead. Or weather it was realizing that there are times in the journey where we will be alone in taking the risk and there will be some pain involved, but to get where God wants us, the pain is part of the process.

Both of these stories illustrate places we have been at in our walks with God I am sure. But the difference is, our reward is much greater than a simple accomplishment on a ropes course. At the end of our journey, at the end of our risk taking, we get to jump into the amazing unknown. We have no idea how awesome or amazing Heaven is going to be. Its like something we cant even imagine or grasp right now, but its a hope that we have to hold on to. That if we continue to take the risks and allow God to mold us into the people he wants us to be, we have some great rewards to look forward to!

SO CLIMB AWAY!! (Cheesy, I know :) )