Get. In. The. Wheelbarrow.

Get.In.The.Wheelbarrow.- actual message here.

I was fortunate enough to be captured by a message that started out asking the question, "Does anyone know who Jean-Francois Gravelet is?" One person had their hand raised. It happened to be the speaker asking the question. 🤦‍♀️

He went on to share that this man walked across Niagara Falls on a Tightrope.

A TIGHTROPE.

In this story, Jean-Francois Gravelet or Charles Blondin as he was called, asked the crowd, "Do you believe I can do this?!"

Naturally, the crowd went wild. (And, I know what you may be thinking, yes, of course there were the people betting against him but that is not what this story is about.) This story is about the crowd saying, "Of course we believe in you. That is why we are here. To see you accomplish this feat!"

Charles Blondin walked across the tightrope from one side to the other pushing a wheelbarrow. A WHEELBARROW. Upon reaching the other side, the crowd went wild again!

He did it! AMAZING!!

Then Blondin asked,

"Who wants to get in the wheelbarrow as I push it back across?"

Silence. SILENCE.

How would you respond?

Everyone was willing to believe in him watching from the sidelines. When it came down to trusting him to do it again, this time putting themselves on the line, no one was willing to take the risk.

Give that a second to sink in. Consider asking yourself, where am I cheering someone or something on BELIEVING it for them but when it's time for me to get in the wheelbarrow, I no longer believe?

The metaphor that the speaker was conveying was in relationship to God.

If this was God asking you to get into the wheelbarrow, would you?

For me, it was a "fun" moment of realization that I am totally good standing on the sidelines cheering on God across a freaking tightrope. Of course I believe he can do it.

Then he asks me to get in the wheelbarrow and I am like... uh. Freak No. I am not getting in a wheelbarrow and letting You (the God of the Universe) push me across a TIGHTROPE over Niagara Falls. I believe you. I don't trust you.

I know You will make it across without falling each time. Every Day All Day.

But when it comes to the unknown and I get asked to get in and go with (not even go alone),

I still don't want to get in the wheelbarrow. I still don't trust that I can just jump in and let You carry me across the chasm. No way. I have to do it myself (control).

This is an exercise in Trust and Control.

Having this abrupt "aha" moment brought up direct areas where I was:

Option one- Currently unwilling to get in the wheelbarrow and Go With an expert tight rope walker.

Option two- Mustering up all of my energy to work my way across. Believing I will only survive if I do it myself.

Where in life are you choosing option one? Not trusting yourself or others to support you? Where has it taken you?

Where in life are you choosing option two? Moving forward but taking on the risk of doing it all yourself? Where has it taken you? How often do you believe that in order to survive, you have to be the one making your way across the tightrope?

Of the places in life that came up for you, what one small step forward can you take today to get you closer to getting in the wheelbarrow? One step closer to a life that has more trust and more ease where someone who as already done it can get you where you want to go.