TIGHTROPE ACT

Ave Maria:)

Tightrope acts are usually one of the best-loved acts in the circus ring. Everyone holds his breathas the tightrope artist does his death-defying walk across the wire..some even dare to do it without a net to catch them..and this makes the show even more thrilling and whoo..scary.

What makes this circus performer able to do this stunt... repeting it night after night till the circus run ends? Of course it takes years of practice and training.. muscles, sinews bones honed to make precise movements - stamina is a must... and most of all, the spirit and the utmost Focus.

SHEER, PURE UNADULTERATED CONCENTRATION... for not all the talent and skills can save you from falling..it's really Top-of-the-List CONCENTRATION -- all your senses, your mindset so zoomed in on what needs to be done and how to do it. There is no room for other thoughts: the tightrope artist can't think of bills to pay..the recent fight with his manager... a sick child... or the next circus gig... it doesn't even matter if he is physically ill -- for as long as his strength permits..he will walk the tighrope and he will..must succeed.

Maybe time stops the moment he starts the walk.. there is probably such a flow of energy and a certain wisdom released so that the artist knows how to use that energy -- after all he won't be doing a sommersault or cha-cha his way across.. he is walking.. or some even bicycle their way along the wire... amazing really.

FOCUS... STAYING WITH IT... WANTING IT... FIGHTING FOR IT.. LIVING FOR IT..AND IN THE END EVEN DYING FOR IT.

Life is a tightrope.

But we can make it a worthwhile walk.

We can walk towards the Lord.. back to our Heavenly Father, the Giver of life.. the One who has blest us with manifold talents , graces opportunities in life. The Tightrope is a reminder how very narrow indeed is the path that leads to salvation. Any ominous fall (becoz of our sins) spells disability or death and that is the end of the walk..the end of our life..with no salvation in sight.

 The One who accompanies us during this walk is Jesus Himself... we fix our eyes on Him, we seek His counsel, we lean on Him..we humbly ask Him to carry our burdens, we ask for forgiveness for our lack of faith..and our death-defying arrogance..our inclination to sin, again and again and again... how death-defying can man get???.how persistent, insistent and downright foolish are we to throw away life? ..and to Say IN HIS FACE , CHRIST'S FACE:

 " BUT I DON'T NEED YOU LORD... I CAN HANDLE MYSELF WELL.. LIFE IS HAZARDOUS BUT REALLY..I'LL BE OK... NO NEED FOR A SAVIOUR."

So we gingerly , othertimes brazenly "do the walk" .... eyes not on Jesus.. but eyes, heart and mind centered on our self ... idiotic really..and pure kayabangan on our part.

Sooner or later..we do fall... if we don't fall..it's even more terrible, becoz we are bound to believe in our own capabilities..our own powers...Lalong lumala.

There is a certain kind of walk... a new way of doing things.. a new lifestyle.. attitudes, reactions, emotions all geared toward the new person the Lord wants us to be ---- If God is our Father..then we are called to be..to act like His child.. To Be Like JESUS. 

We don't need a circus to entertain ourselves.. our life.. the direction we choose.. the principles we live by.. the finish line we aim for... that is the greatest adventure of all.  

and we mustn't be afraid of the tightrope.. because Jesus will walk every step of the way with us.. the moment we want to back out frightened out of our wits..He will hold us, urge us on and we feel His arms on our shoulders balancing us.. His hands on our knees about to buckle and crumble... He steadies our gaze toward the end of the tightrope..."THERE...THERE, Child...WALK NOW... Fear not, you will not fall...I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS TILL THE END OF TIME."

TO ALLOW OTHER THINGS TO OCCUPY OUR MIND AND HEART IS DETRIMENTAL to our total health, our well-being..our life... especially when these "other things/interests" take the primary place that should be the Lord's.

For our heart is His throne..and we are His temple.

It is alright to love..raise a family.. enjoy leisurely moments , work hard... serve in church for as long as JESUS weaves all of these in perfect harmony.. with the end being that we grow holy becoz of what we do. If it does not lead to holiness...it does not lead us back  to God and we probably suffered a terrible fall from the tightrope.

Let them chide you when they think you are overdoing this Christian thing too much.

OA ka daw that's ok.. but let the Spirit also guide us lest imbes maka convince tayo ay lalung lumayo sila, hahaha. Teach us to be humble Lord lest we get carried away. Remind us , we wouldn't even make the first step of the ladder without Your merciful help.

John 15:5"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Tell them gently and with love....that you have a walk to accomplish, and that you donot intend to fall.

WALK ON BY.

GOD BLESS US.......................................................................................te mye