The Rope and The Thread

Soon after I became a Christian I was given a picture.
It was of a rope and a thread hanging in the air.
They represent the two ways to live your life.

I had been clinging to the rope for so long.
The rope was this world and all that it offers: job, success, money, happiness and the like.

The thread, for so long I had been unaware of, was Gods way.

Whilst I was holding onto the rope it seemed as if it was a nonsense to want to reach out to the thread. After all, how on earth is a thread meant to hold my weight? It can be hard enough to hold on to the rope at times.

After a while though I became aware that God was asking me to let go of the rope and reach out to the thread.
I wasn’t too sure about that one.
I still had my rope and it felt safe and secure. I think that maybe I’ll hold onto this a little longer. After all, that thread still doesn’t look any stronger.

I probably tried to reach for the thread a couple of times. But the thing is I wouldn’t let go of the rope, so the thread was always out of my reach. I needed to let go of the rope to be able to reach the thread.
Am I quite ready yet to let go of my rope?

When I did let go of my rope and reach out for the thread, I found that I didn’t quite need to hold onto the thread in the same way.
In fact I hardly needed to hold it at all.
Where I had become tired from holding onto the rope for so long, with the thread it just wasn’t necessary to do so. It was easier in some ways.
I could just relax.

After a while it was clear to see why. It wasn’t my strength that was holding me up any more. No, it was God’s power and strength.
As I rested in him, he held me firm.

As I stayed near the thread, in God’s presence, we travelled up the thread.
After a while we could see the top of the rope.
It still looked as solid and strong as ever but, it wasn’t attached to any thing. It was just hanging there, well actually it must have been falling down.

It was then that I realised, that when I was holding onto the rope, I too was falling down also, and if I had ever made it to the top of the rope then what good would it have done me.
For if the rope was attached to nothing, then all that effort would have been for nothing.

The thread however didn’t stop but continued upward toward the heavenly realms, where Gods presence was even more abundant.
I am so pleased to have reached out for the thread, now knowing that God is taking me home.

As I rested in Gods presence, by the apparent thread, I realised that it was God who lifted me up.
Not my strength but Gods power. As if I could pull myself up on a thread, I had enough trouble with the rope.
The thread was acting as a guide for me to show me where I should be.

It seems to me that it’s best just to trust and rest in God and to follow His ways, doing so leads to Him after all.