The Predecessor of Fearlessness

In the 1800’s, an acrobat named Blondin (Jean-Francois Gravlet) became famous for crossing Niagra Falls by tightrope many times, usually with no safety net.

One day a crowd gathered at the falls to watch his most dangerous attempt yet. He planned to push a wheelbarrow loaded with a heavy sack of cement across the tightrope. With that extra weight, the slightest miscalculation could tip the wheelbarrow and twist him off the wire, plunging him to death in the raging waters 160 feet below.

Thousands watched breathlessly as he made his way across, placing one foot carefully in front of the other, quietly pushing the wheelbarrow across the spray-filled chasm, oblivious to the roar of the water beneath him.

When he made it to the other side, the throng let out its collective breath and cheered. What a feat! After his crossing, Blondin challenged a nearby reporter: “Do you believe I can do anything on a tightrope?”

“Oh yes, Mr Blondin,” said the reporter, “after what I’ve seen today, I believe it. You can do anything.”

“Do you believe, then,” said Blondin, “that instead of a sack of cement, I could put a man in this wheelbarrow-a man who has never been on a tightrope before-and wheel him without a net, safely over to the other side?”

“Oh yes sir, Mr. Blondin,” said the reporter, “I believe it.”

“Good,” said Blondin. “Get in.”

The reporter paled and quickly disappeared into the crowd. It’s one thing to believe something but quite another to have that kind of faith in someone.

However, one person that day did have that kind of faith in Blondin. This brave volunteer agreed to get into the wheelbarrow and cross the falls with the master acrobat.

As Blondin tipped out the bag of cement and placed his passenger in the barrow, men on both sides of the falls quickly placed bets on the outcome. Then as the crowd cheered, Blondin made his way back across the falls, this time pushing a nervous passenger ahead of him.

It looked like another easy conquest for the daredevil. But when they were halfway across the sixteen-hundred foot rope, a man with a heavy bet against them crept over and cut one of the guy wires.

Suddenly the tightrope pitched crazily back and forth, the force of the whipping motion gaining in intensity. As Blondin fought to keep his balance, he knew that they were seconds way from death. When the rim of the wheelbarrow came off the wire, they would both be pitched headlong into the churning waters.

Blondin spoke, cutting through the terror of his passenger in the wheelbarrow. “Stand up!” he commanded. “Stand up and grab my shoulders!”

The man sat there paralyzed. “Let go and stand up! Let go of the wheelbarrow! Do it or die!”

Somehow the man managed to stand up and step out of the swaying wheelbarrow. “Your arms-put them round my neck! Now your legs-round my waist!” said Blondin.

Again the man obeyed, clinging to Blondin. The empty wheelbarrow fell, disappearing into the frothy turmoil far below. The aerialist stood there, using all this years of experience and every trained muscle to stay on the wire until pitching subsided a little. Then inch by inch he made his way across, carrying the man like a child. Finally he deposited him on the other side.

(This story found in DARING TO LIVE ON THE EDGE by Loren Cunningham)

The man obeyed, clinging to Blondin...

He did what Blodin had told him to do because in the moment of fear the man was paralyzed. He froze, but the voice of Blodin broke through the fear and he did as he was instructed, he clung. Had he not wrapped his arms around his neck, his legs around his waist, death would have been absolute.There was a faith the man had in Blodin, he trusted the man. He stepped out into a wheelbarrow, on a tightrope, over Niagra Falls for goodness sake...Here's the bottom line, we want to be women who walk fearlessly, right?!?!?!

The more and more I am fearlessly doing life, the more and more I am realizing that I can't do it without faith. Without faith fearlessness is absolutely IMPOSSIBLE. I have to cling to Jesus, I have to have faith in His words to me. When He tells me to STAND UP! I must. When He tells me to wrap my arms around his shoulders...goodness me, I DO IT!!!

Life is scary, life is difficult, it's a tightrope and the only thing I choose to cling to is the One I trust more than any...my Heavenly Father. His perfect love will cast out all of my fear. His love will get me across the rope safely.

BUT....I must trust Him. I must trust that He is more committed to my dreams than I am. I must trust that He is more committed to my family than I am. I must trust that He is more committed to my finances than I am. I must trust that He is more committed to my heart than I am. He is even more committed to me meeting my husband....CAN I GET AN AMEN!!!!

With FAITH the things I FEAR become obsolete. I will stand up out of the wheelbarrow and cling to Him as He walks me to the other side. Another victory over fear, it's not a one time thing. It's daily, it's a life of living by faith.

On December 7, 2011 God pierced through my paralysis and called me to a life of missions. He called me out of my business, my home, and all that I knew. He asked me to stand up and cling to Him and His promises. I will not pretend and tell you that it's been easy. It's been the scariest ride of my life. I left behind the safety of my friends and family. I left behind a successful business that provided monthly financial provision. I literally left and walked away from an identity, but I will tell you that I know, that I know, that I know everyday I'm injected with more faith and less and less fear.

God has things He has for your life....stand up and hold on tight knowing He is the best thing you can hold on to! He is the best thing you could trust. His perfect love will cast out ALL of your fears. Where there is faith, fear has no hold.

Willing to get in the wheelbarrow?

             Deck of Cards

Take a deck of cards, shuffle. Face cards are 10, Aces are 11, numbered cards as valued. Flip each card and perform the movement and the number of reps specified. Cycle through deck if you dare or go for 20 minutes.

Hearts=Burpees

Diamonds=100m sprint

Spades=Squats (Video for proper squat)

this video is a little long but it's soooooo good!!!!!!!

Clubs=Situps