For Tim’s birthday, our son, Sam, bought his brother a slack line. If you are younger than 40, you probably know what that is, but if not, then you need to know that it is like a portable tight rope which is approximately the width of a seat belt and when using it, you extend it between trees in the yard, not too far off the ground.

During the inaugural crossing of the line, the boys insisted that mom try it out, too. So, like the good adventurer that I am, I did. But I had insurance. On either side, I had a 6 foot plus young man to hold on to! It was so easy—I gracefully glided down that slack line, executed a perfect 180 and got all the way back without missing a beat. THEN, the boys suggested that I let go. Legs shaking, I took a couple of tentative steps before I found firm footing in the grass below.

Walking the way of the cross is like that. We do well to gather around us others of faith for support. Walking alone we are shaky at best and prone to fall. Jesus set the example of how important friends are as we journey along the path of life. So as we continue our journey of faith, let us cultivate and deepen those friendships.