I went rappelling once. The hardest part was getting from a standing-up position on the edge of Sunset Rock to a horizontal position just off the edge. It was simply a matter of trusting the harness, or rather the skill of the guy who helped me into it. The cliff wasn't really all that high. Still, it was high enough and the ground below was rocky enough to scare me but good.
My college roommate's fiancé was an expert climber and I KNEW he knew what he was doing. Yet no matter how hard he tried to encourage and reassure, I just couldn't make myself step off that edge.
And then he said something so simple and so profound that I couldn't not do it. He said, "So why did you come?"
Wow. Why HAD I gone rappelling if I wasn't going to go through with it? I didn't realize what it would be like, that's why. Yet I kinda knew it would be worth it. So I went.
Was it worth it?
Once I stepped off the edge and began to feel the harness supporting my weight, I was committed and enjoyed the thrill of it. But in order to experience that feeling of safety, I had to have a little faith. In this case, I had to trust a friend.
I'm a firm believer that God places people in our lives that can help us navigate the unknown in whatever form it takes. The point is, do we cling to the fear of the unknown, or do we seek out people who will hold onto the ropes while we step off the edge?
Whether we are taking a leap of faith with that art show application, or leaving our secure day job behind to do what we know in our hearts is the work our hands were meant to do, it's a lot like rappelling. We slavishly cling to the edge even while we know there's something far more thrilling if we'll only step out and trust the harness.
