Climbing ROCKS!

Sometimes there just aren't enough rocks.

I went rock climbing today with my friend Dane, and I came to a number of conclusions:

1. I need to pump more iron.

2. Life is a lot like rock climbing.

3. Good friends are always there for you.

4. Harnesses are flattering on no one.

Now to explain...

1. I know what you might be thinking: "Nat, your biceps are HUGE! How could you need to make them any stronger?!" Well, dear friends, it's possible that even my arms need a little help. I remember when I was growing up, my dad always used to tell me I needed to be able to do at least one pull-up. He would ask: "What are you going to do if you're hanging off of a cliff and have to pull yourself up?" While I don't see that happening anytime soon (or ever), Skipper's advice would have come in handy today.

2. At an indoor rock climbing facility, there are so many different choices of walls you can climb. On each wall, there are a variety of paths you can take, and someone else who climbs the very same wall might go a completely different route. Some walls you can scale quite quickly and easily without really thinking about what rock you're going to grab next; others take careful thought and consideration, and you really have to focus on where your hands and feet will go next. No matter how difficult the climb, however, there is always the possibility of you losing your footing and falling. The good news is that you have a belayer who is there to ensure you don't actually fall—you either slowly come back down to the ground, or you dangle until you can regain your grip on the rocks. It's kind of like in life when we lose our way, God is always there to belay us back to safety and the correct path. Who knew rock climbing could parallel with so much?

3. Dane has been a great friend of mine since high school. He is in the Army and currently lives in North Carolina, but he always comes to visit Texas when he gets his breaks. Even though he once shot me in the leg with an airsoft gun after I said that's the one place he was NOT to shoot me, he really is pretty awesome. He proved to be a trustworthy belayer, brought me an orange Gatorade (my favorite!!), and even took some pics when that was the last thing he wanted to do. He didn't even crack any jokes about my weight when he was belaying. Oh, wait, yes he did—but I would expect nothing less from him.

4. I don't feel this needs much of an explanation.

Sometimes in rock climbing, it feels like there aren't enough rocks, or there

are just too many out of your reach. I think a lot of times in life we get so caught up in so many different things and feel like everything we need is not in reach or too difficult to grasp. It's in those times that we have to remember that we are harnessed in God's love, and He is the best belayer this world has ever seen. So, no matter what wall you choose or what path of rocks you follow, you can always make it to the top somehow—even if you don't think you are strong enough yet to pull yourself up when hanging from that cliff.

The good thing about all of this is that God's harness is definitely a lot more attractive than those belts of awkwardness they give you at rock climbing gyms.