In 1859, at the age of 34, Charles Blondin decided he would be the first man to walk a tightrope stretched across Niagara Falls. This daredevil act required him to walk 1,100 feet across and 160 feet in the air. As a great promoter, he started to draw attention to the event around town, and everyone’s interest piqued.
When the day finally came, about 25,000 thrill-seekers showed up to heckle, some to cheer, and others to witness his inevitable doom. Giving the crowd what they came for, he jumps up on the rope and completes a couple of warm-up exercises. Perplexed, the people see he’s not as stable on the line as he should be. They then begin to jeer, hurl insults and laugh at him.
“You can’t do it,” “You’ll never pull this off,” exclaim many. Blondin then takes his balancing pole and starts walking down the rope. As he walks the entire path across, he seems to stumble and trip. At this, the audience starts to become genuinely concerned and is silent. When Blondin reaches the other side, the audience goes from dead silence to thunderous applause.
Afterward, he then proceeds to go back and forth a few more times. Every time he crosses, he ups the ante by adding more complexity to his crossing. He’s known to cross without a balancing pole, doing flips on the rope, lying down, and even cooking an omelet midway. With every crossing he makes, the crowd grows with amazement.
The story goes that, in one instance, he wields a wheelbarrow and pushes it across while blindfolded. The crowd is once again fascinated by what they see. After successfully returning, he engages the crowd and asks them, “Do you believe I can carry a person across in this wheelbarrow?” Unmoved by their faith in his abilities, they shout that yes, they believe!
Blondin then asks, “Who will get in the wheelbarrow?’ At this, the crowd goes silent.
Blondin’s story reminds me of how many of us live out our faith in God. We profess to follow him in words, but when it comes to taking action, hold back. God wants our faith to be unwavering, whether the situation looks to be possible or not. He wants us in the wheelbarrow with him.
Daily Directive:
Answer and Journal the Following
Read:
Read and meditate on Romans 10:14-21 for yourself.
Pray:
What’s stopping you from getting in the wheelbarrow? Be real; be honest.
Meditate / Make It Real:
Pray and ask God to help you grow your faith in Him through the power of Jesus Christ. Be specific.
Share / Show:
Share this with that fellow brother and have them hold you accountable.
