Chutes and Ladders

January 1st, and .... the Pilot family has proudly taken down the Christmas Decorations! 

Don't get me wrong - we LOVE Christmas and all of the decorations.  But we love getting everything put away and having the house straightened up.  It gives us a sense of starting the new year fresh and ready.

My wife and I have an agreement - a clear wall of separation on who does what at "teardown." She does the inside, I do the outside.  (although I end up helping with some of the heavy stuff on the inside. :)

So, it's my job to get the extension ladder and take down the Christmas lights.  Also, I put all of the packed up decorations back in the attic in the garage.  

My only problem is: I tend to be scared of heights.  I hate the feeling of being at the top of the ladder, because I never feel like I have a solid footing.  The ladder could slip! It's really hard climbing up and down from the roof, because there is nothing really to hold on to - those roof tiles are loose!

So, I break our rule and yell for Kellie to come hold the ladder while I reach to the top lights.  It gives me a sense of security knowing that she is holding the ladder and watching me.  

This made me think how thankful I am that I have Jesus Christ "holding the ladder" for me in my life journey.  He has always been there to make me feel secure:

Isaiah 33:6 NIV

He will be the sure foundation for your times,

    a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge;

    the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.

As I was at the top of that wobbly ladder, the thought crossed my mind:

How do people go through the tough times in life without Jesus as their foundation? How do people take a step into uncharted territories without the assurance that Jesus is with them?

Jesus shared a story to His followers about people who have the foundation of God and those that do not:

Matthew 7:24-27 NIV

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Jesus knows that you are not strong enough go through life on your own.  You are not wise enough to know how to handle the storms of life with you being in charge.  Jesus wants to lead you and help you.  It’s in the tough times that He will show You His strength.  It’s in the lonely times that He will show You that He will never leave You.  It’s when you have failed that He will show His lovingkindness. 

Don’t resist the leadership of Jesus Christ in your life.  Declare Him Your Lord and Saviour and let Him hold you secure through this year.  When you do, you can face the challenges and uncertainty with great confidence – Jesus is holding the ladder.