God teaches me things in the strangest places. My last lesson was during a visit to Sky Wild.
Sky Wild, a tree- top adventure course, contains six paths of “death defying” fun. After being hooked to a series of cables by a tether, you attempt to climb, zip line, balance, or sometimes ride through various obstacles. It’s physically exhausting, made worse by the fact that much of the adventure takes place forty-five feet in the air. My husband, one son, some friends, and I went this past Wednesday.
During the first obstacle, it was apparent that God was going to use my Sky Wild experience as a teachable moment as he educated me concerning fear. I’d like to share these insights with you!
Conquering Fear using Sky Wild Life Lessons :)!
Insight number one: Sometimes the only thing that you can do with fear… is face it.
On one of the courses, I noticed a woman standing in front of me. She was paralyzed in fright as she encountered a two-foot step down onto a swinging log. I could tell the lady was desperately afraid; you could see the agony on her face. She was almost in tears and she kept repeating, “I can’t do this.” I began to believe her and thought she was going to have to be rescued.
However, after a few minutes of panic, I could see the transformation in her eyes as she realized the easiest way out of the fear was through the obstacle. She slowly stepped forward one foot at a time until finally she had inched her way across the precarious bridge.
The woman faced fear with courage and overcame the obstacle that was terrorizing her.
My Lesson: Victorious people look fear in the face, and deal with it. Sometimes the only thing you can do with fear… is face it.
Insight number two: When you are in the middle of fear and you want to quit, you need to just keep going.
The “Spider Web” is a vertical rope climbing bridge in which you are expected to hold on to the “web” and make your way across to the other side. I had been to Sky Wild before; I knew that the “Spider Web” was my nemesis. This trip, I promised myself (and everyone around me) that I was going to stay far away from the web. But, the brave lady inspired me; obviously terrified, she faced her fears and conquered them. I decided if she could do it, I could too; I got in line for the spider web course.
The first few steps of the web were not so bad. Half-way through it, however, I began to get really tired and very scared. I WANTED OFF; unfortunately, my only option was to keep going. So, I kept trudging on… and on… and on (Just how big WAS that spider web anyway)… until I reached the end.
During the physically exhausting and terrifying experience, the only thing that I wanted to do was give up. Since I was hanging forty-five feet in the air, that wasn’t an option. Even though I really wanted to sit down and cry, I kept going.
My Lesson: Victorious people push through fear- even when they want to stop.
Insight number three: The best option when facing fear is to hold on to your tether and realize that it (HE) has got you.
Eventually, I figured out the secret to Sky Wild. After a lot of fighting for balance, I finally realized every obstacle was easier when I just held to the tether and sort of “ignored” everything going on around me. I found that if I held to the tether, I could run across the moving logs; I could race through the tightrope bridge. Holding to the tether gave me stability- regardless of what I encountered.
Also, when I stepped back and realized that the tether “had me,” everything became psychologically easier which allowed me to be able to physically achieve what I needed to accomplish. Faith in the tether allowed me to relax and (almost) enjoy the journey through the obstacles.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:25-27 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?”
My Lesson: Hold to your tether (God). Although sometimes you might have to face your fears and sometimes you might have to plow through them, God’s “got you;” just trust Him.
I’m really tired, but I enjoyed my Sky Wild experience. When fear rears its ugly head, I plan to use some of the insights that God gave me. I hope that they will be useful for you too!
Love ya! :)!
Robin
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