So, last weekend, on a gloriously sunny day, I headed over to Coventry to pick up my youngest from the station before carrying on to Coombe Abbey Country Park so that we could do Go Ape together. If you don't know what Go Ape is then this video will give you a bit of an idea: https://youtu.be/roY0ELRy8m4?si=l3jTbfvRG_Zxi8B4
I've done Go Ape before, but quite a long while ago now, and it has to be said that in recent times I have struggled more with heights than I used to, though I've no idea why! So, given I'd be climbing up trees, hanging off cables and swinging off things well above the ground, I knew this adventure would be a challenge!
And I wasn't wrong!! Despite knowing I was securely attached for safety via two different cables I still really had to steel myself to step off the tree platforms at times. Though funnily enough, one of the hardest parts was climbing up the initial towers - which we had to do four different times! But the hardest of all was the Tarzan swing - which involved stepping off a platform and swinging into a cargo net! I'll hasten to add I didn't step, I sat on the edge of the platform and shuffled off, but it still took a lot of nerve!!
However, despite initially stalling at this, I overcame my fears and managed to make my way round and conquer the four courses: very wobbly, wobbly, swings and zip lines. Zip lines was the best by far - though I have discovered I have a tendency to turn round as I whizz down the cable and land rather unceremoniously on my back!
I did find myself, at some points whilst hanging on for dear life, giving myself a good talking to - after all - I've just done a solo pilgrimage in a foreign country asking myself if "this" (hanging in a tree, swinging off a rope, balancing on a steel cable, etc.) was more scary than running down an Italian highway avoiding being runover by cars?! Sometimes I agreed with myself it was, but other times I decided it wasn't - but either way I was able to continue each time and overcome each different treetop challenge.
I was quite relieved to get to the finish having been climbing for 3 hours at this point! But it reminded me of how I'd felt at the end of each day walking: feeling weary, but satisfied at what I'd achieved.
However, it has to be said that the best part of the day was doing this with someone else. It was a joy to have the time to properly connect and catch up and to have such a laugh together that this time we shared was truly restorative for my soul. And I did truly appreciate the encouragement I got as we made our way round together. So it was a day I will treasure.
But, a couple of thoughts - firstly about that being attached securely thing, but still feeling apprehensive.
As a person of faith, I trust in the love God has for me. I know I am securely attached to Him and there's nothing I can do that can separate me from His love. Romans 8:38-39 is certain about this: For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
And yet there are times when I can feel uncertain, but then even Jesus' closest friends doubted even having seen Him after His resurrection so I reckon I'm in good company: Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Matthew 28:16-17
And this brought to mind a quote that struck me from the film 'Conclave' which I watched once I'd returned from Italy before the recent papal conclave began: "Our faith is a living thing precisely because it walks hand in hand with doubt. If there was only certainty, and if there was no doubt, there would be no mystery, and therefore no need for faith." Robert Harris.
Like the cable connections of Go Ape I can see in God's word the truths that He will be with me, that He will never let me down and His love for me endures forever. So my challenge is to keep coming back to these as sure and certain reminders when my doubts or fears threaten to hold me back from stepping out in faith.
And then secondly a thought that leads on from the first - doing something together. The thing is, sometimes it's easier to hold onto faith when we share that experience with others. I think that's a key value I find in being part of a church family, both locally and wider. We're journeying together and can encourage each other on the way and sometimes that can involve doing things that we might not otherwise have confidence to do on our own. Let's never underestimate the impact of our encouragement on others!
We all face different challenges - probably the majority of them won't be because we've opted to climb high up in the tree canopies(!) - but whatever we face we can trust in the certainty that God's got us, and as we journey together as companions on the way, we've got each other too!
