Perfect Balance

Bible Reading: Psalm 27:1-3; Isaiah 41:10

“That was a great circus show, wasn’t it, Dad?” Brandon’s eyes were wide with excitement as he and his father made their way to the car. “Especially the high-wire act! I really liked that.”

Dad grinned. “That was pretty exciting, but it was kinda scary when that one man was riding on the other’s shoulders.”

“Yeah!” said Brandon. “I was surprised they didn’t both get hurt when the one guy carrying the other lost his balance and they both fell. Good thing there was a net there to catch them!”

“Yes,” said Dad, starting the car. “Without the net, that could have been a real tragedy.”

Brandon nodded. “Those guys sure do have a lot of nerve. I wouldn’t want to ride on anybody’s shoulders way up high off the ground! In fact, I don’t think I’d want to be up on a high wire at all.”

Dad laughed. “Well, I’m glad to hear that. But you know what? That high wire act is a little bit like life in general.”

“It is?” asked Brandon. “What do you mean?”

“Well, the man on the other person’s shoulders was putting all his trust in his partner’s ability to safely walk the rope, right?”

Brandon nodded. “Yeah, but that guy couldn’t do it. If the net hadn’t caught them, they might have been killed!”

“Well, we’re all something like the man who trusted his partner,” said Dad. “We all put our trust in someone or something. Some people put their trust in money or in their jobs. Some put their trust in other people to help them through tough times. But when those things fail…well, tragedy often follows.”

“That’s kinda like what my Sunday school teacher told us in church last week,” Brandon said. “She said we should always trust Jesus to take care of us because He never fails.”

“Right,” said Dad. “Everyone faces difficulties and even tragedies in life, but only Jesus can save us from sin and give us eternal life. That’s why we can trust Him to carry us through life’s troubles. When we place our hope and trust in the things of this world or even other people, they will let us down. But Jesus will never fail us.”

–Richard S. Maffeo