Rope

Glen was watching a doco last night while I was on the computer... I wasn't paying much attention to it, but suddenly got a little interested when they tested different "ropes".

One girl made a rope purely from hair, braided together. She would interlock the next lot of hair with the previous, and thus made it long enough to climb down a building.

Another guy made a rope purely of toilet paper! Toilet paper, the weakest possible thing to create a "rope" from. He did the same process of braiding and interlocking.

Would this ever work? Well, they tested both ropes by climbing down this building with them, and both worked! They supported the weight of the person relying on them, and didn't break under the strain, even though all odds seemed against them.

I was thinking about the Spiritual lesson in this. Always thinking of a rope as our faith, I got to thinking how some of us have the least faith, the smallest hope, the weakest rope.. but as long as that rope is anchored in Christ, it doesn't matter how weak it appears to be, it won't break under the pressure. Some of us have true ropes, made from the strongest of materials - perhaps these of us are the ones who have faced trials and tribulations and come through the better. Others are made of 'hair', a fairly strong substance, but never imagined for such a task. These are those of us who have silent faith, never seen to anyone - a silent strength built for the task. And some of us have 'paper' ropes - the ones who have faced trial, and fallen. The ones who have backsliden, who seem to have nothing left. But yet, when faced with the challenge, meet it with every strength they have, and come through the victor.

Never judge a person by their faith. They may seem hopeless, lost, and wavering in their beliefs. They may be ready to throw everything in, and feel they've lost it all. But if they give it one last try, you might just be surprised. Perhaps, even, that person is you?