Ledge Walking

 When I was nineteen, I broke my ankle on a backpacking trip. It was not a happy adventure for me, although it makes a great story almost 40 years later.

Yeah, OK, it also made a great story about three days later, when I returned to my backpacking class and propped a cast up in the chair next to me. I’m a writer. Life is fodder for stories. Sue me.

The accident also made for a lesson in humility. Y’see, I had just chimneyed over a frozen waterfall, something I didn’t know I could do. A log had fallen over the chasm, just below the crest of ice. We crossed, hands on the log, feet UP on the falls, inch-by-inch. I did it. I couldn’t believe it. I did it! I scrambled up the trail, turned and cheered, celebrating. I jumped up and down, thrilled beyond belief. I did it!

And…my feet shot out from under me on the loose gravel of the trail. I slid, feet first toward the icy stream. I threw myself backwards over my pack (think upside down turtle) and started trying to stop with my feet. I stopped, snapping my ankle in the process.

The next two days were NOT fun. We were several miles into a wilderness area. And, yes, I walked out on that ankle, getting lost for a bit in the process. I learned something hard about celebrating too soon, but it didn't stop me from taking the occasional risk. After all, the outcome made for an even greater success.

And while it was the first time I tumbled off a ledge, it wasn’t the last. Although the later ones were more metaphorical. I’ve walked a lot of those kind of ledges.

Now I don’t consider myself brave—STUBBORN is the better description. I don’t like to let life get the better of me, and it’s tried a few times. But long ago I got two pieces of advice that made all the difference in the world. One from a spiritual mentor, the other from one of my favorite authors.

1)     "You have to trust God and give Him your concerns. This will NOT be easy. In fact, I give a lot of stuff to God every morning because by afternoon, I’ve yanked it back. But I never stop trying to trust and let go. The more you try, the more you succeed."

2)      “Jump, and you will find out how to unfold your wings as you fall.”

       —Ray Bradbury

I also try to keep in mind a corollary to that last one, given to me by that same mentor: “Sometimes when you are standing on the ledge, you need to take the leap of faith. If you don’t, God’s very likely to shove you off.”

I’ve been shoved off a few times as well.

Sometimes, we need to take risks. We need to apply for that job, submit that manuscript, go on that date. We need to stretch our minds and our bodies. While some Scriptures counsel us to be content with what we have, we’re never coached to be complacent. Being content means being grateful for what we have, not stopping in one place. In fact, Scripture frequent urges us to grow in mind, body, and spirit, to push ourselves in our work and our relationship with God.

After all, one of God’s greatest apostles would have been happy to keep making tents; God lit a fire under him, however, that sent Paul to the far corners of the known world.  

So I’m a firm believer in walking on a few ledges. Because we never know what grand adventures God has in store for us.