This month we partnered with foundation resplandecer (Pastor Tony and Rosa) near los chiles Costa Rica.
This ministry site is somewhat remote in the country side, we didn’t have much access to the internet, they are growing vegetables, helping with local church youth ministry and hosting church retreats. Most of our time was spent weeding the field.
Our month stared by helping pastor Douglas set up a low ropes course, and helping host a youth retreat.
One of the obstacles for the course was a wall that the youth had to climb…it was made of wood planks with pegs for hand and foot holds. (not that large but just large enough to teach life lessons)
I asked the pastor about the lesson for this obstacle and why he made it the way it was.
He asked me how I would climb it, I said I would go to one of the edges and use some of the supports to climb over the wall. He said you can’t go around the wall.
I noticed the wall had a gap between the floor such that one could go under it. I asked do we have to go over the wall, he said yes you can’t go under the wall.
So there it was…I couldn’t go around it, I couldn’t go under it…I had to go over it….
The pastor explained the wall represents more than a physical barrier its an illustration for life.
The wall represents any obsticle in life, big or small its an obstacle…
For some it can be sin we can’t break, drugs, getting drunk, porn, sleeping around, gossip, lying to others, or any other sin you can think of…
For others it maybe the lies they have been told, your not good enough, your not tall enough, your not good looking, if only you lost 5 more lbs and worked out more you’d be beautiful, like so and so ….
For others it maybe a life challenge, you lost your job, your spouse wants a divorce, you lost a close loved one, your family doesn’t accept or understand you…
So there it is a wall…if you try to go around the problem remains, if you go under its like the ignoring the problem.
Eventually we have to climb our walls in life, sometimes life will get tough, if we don’t climb the wall we are never truly free, we give up on relationships, people or doing the right thing because it is to difficult.
For me the wall has been trying to get rid of pet sins and expectations of what God wants me to learn on this trip. Also to be humbled to realize my worth doesn’t come from what role or job I have, its okay to just participate to relax.
The neat thing about the wall obsticle is that you have a team of people to help you if needed. I think this should be true in life as well, the issue is being humble enough to ask for help.
