“We are going canyoning!” Kayla and Talia, our logistics leaders for B squad exclaim as they let us know the great deal they got us for repelling down waterfalls in Banos, Ecuador. Four waterfalls. Repel down two. Slide down one. Then jump off a one-hundred and thirty-five foot drop. (Had I known that in the beginning, I probably wouldn’t have done it.) Conquer your fears. I tell myself over and over again. Repelling down a waterfall is not something I EVER thought I would do in this life time. It sounds scary, but I am assured that as long as I follow instructions, it is safe…and it is. BUT, it is still incredibly nerve racking!
As we walk up the mountain viewing the top two waterfalls from below, I begin to sing to myself, “Spirit, lead me where my trust is without borders.” I watch each person begin to repel down the first waterfall. “Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander. My faith will be made stronger.”
God is holding my hand every step of the way. “You call me out upon the waters.” My feet grasp for footing as I step further into the waterfall. Each step is calculated and secure.
“My feet may fail and fear surrounds me,” my foot slips and I am hanging on the rope at the mercy of the pounding water that is coming from above me. “I will call upon Your name,” the trainer at the bottom of the waterfall is my anchor and pulls on the rope, freeing me from the enveloping water. “Keep my eyes above the waves,” feeling safer, and in good hands, I repel down the next waterfall with ease. Then, Danielle and I are tied together to slide down the third waterfall.
Lastly, the biggest challenge of all. The drop. I have no choice. There is no other way down. “You have never failed and you won’t start now.” As I watch person after person jump off of the drop, I notice an eagle flying above us. It flies over the drop like it doesn’t even exist. We can be just like that eagle in Christ. We don’t have to be pulled down by the darkness below us. We can cling to Christ when there is an abyss we fear and do not know how to cross. He will provide the stepping stones, one at a time, or allow us to fly with Him to the other side.
“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not grow weary. They shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31
I ease off the ledge and onto the log for stability before the jump. Then, he lets go of the rope. I jump and sink into the air between the waterfall and the wall of rock. Hanging on for dear life, I cling to the rope. Then… I open my eyes. “There I find You in the mystery.” Water surrounds me, but does not touch me. I breathe in the beauty. The fresh water falling leaves a magical mist in the air. Plants of all kinds adorn the rock wall and add an inviting fragrance to the air. I spin around taking in the water on one side and the unmatched beauty on the other. It is unreal, truly indescribable. I relax in the Father’s arms, “My soul will rest in your embrace for I am Yours and You are mine.”
