Over the weekend I continued my attempt to tick off all Wainwright fells by taking my family up Castle Crag. My daughter has just started to walk up hills without having to be carried, however the steep section to get to the top of this one was something she hasn’t experienced before. To keep her safe I put her on a short rope to help her descend the short section of loose rock. The amount of trust she put in me reminded me of a thought for the week I did back in July 2013 and it seemed appropriate to share this again.

Mountaineering and hill walking can be an overwhelming environment to find yourself in. Members of your group can often find themselves feeling exposed and uncomfortable on rock faces and steep ground. For this purpose mountain leaders carry a rope to use in times of need.

A rope can be a great way of giving an individual a feeling of comfort and security. The leader would often climb the steep ground first and lower the rope down for the group member to tie themselves into. As a consequence the leader can often be out of sight and all the group member has is the rope and words of encouragement shouted down from above. This is where a good relationship of trust in the leader is essential.

As a Christian you are often asked ‘how can you believe in someone you cannot see?’

As with the overwhelmed mountain climber, it comes down to trust and faith. A Christian believes that he has a relationship with Jesus (not known for breaking his promises), choosing to follow him is like accepting the rope from the unseen mountaineer. It is often a liberating experience to put all your faith and trust in someone that has never and will never let you down.

– Graham