We all need to be tethered to something

While I was out running yesterday, I heard the song "Tethered" by Phil Wickham.

I reflected on the days when I worked at a residential wilderness camp for at-risk kids. One of the core components of our work was the ropes course experience. I was a facilitator. As one, I frequently witnessed what seemed like miracles in kids taking part in this experience.

The first thing that always took place in the more risky elements of the course was securing a kid in a harness and then tethering them to a safety line above.

Before any kid was going to take a step on an element dozens of feet off the ground, they needed to know they weren't going to fall. Invariably, as they'd get going and begin to make their way across their own version of a highwire act, they'd look up and confirm they were indeed still tethered.

I got to thinking. That's my life.

I was living this "at-risk" life, then I got introduced to a relationship with Christ. Someone said, here, let me tether your heart to the strongest safety line there is. Let's see what steps you can take in life once you know you're tethered.

Those steps became far less at-risk, and far more purposeful and fulfilling.

Oh, there are days when I feel the risks coming back. I feel myself start to fall. Then I look up and make sure I'm still tethered. And God always just gives me a nod - I'm still here.

We all need that in life. I believe where we go in life is largely influenced by what we feel tethered to. If we're not tethered to something bigger than this life, we'll always be constrained by this life.

I love the second step of Alcoholics Anonymous program.

“Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.”

Really, that could be said "I tethered my life to something greater than me."

I don't hide from the fact Jesus is my higher power. I suppose it's because Jesus took the unprecedented step of dying on a cross to declare he wanted to be tethered to me long before I'd come to know I needed to be tethered to him. Jesus died a gruesome death to say I want to be your higher power long before my life fell to a place where I couldn't survive without one.

Jesus came and said I'll be your sanity long before I got insane!

I'm not here to convince you to tether your life to Jesus. That was my choice. I'm blessed to be able to share the journey of that choice.

I do, however, think it is important to always examine what our lives are tethered to. When life gets tough, when we're living in Covid-19 times, and it gets to feeling like I can't take another step on this highwire of distance and isolation, where do I look to make sure I'm still tethered to my safety line?

The answer, I think, will be a big influence in your next step.