Climbing!

Saturday, Matthew & I went on an all-day double date with our favorite double-date couple David & Jena. We went to the temple first thing in the morning, which is always a good way to start the day. Our goal is to go every month in 2011. So far, we're at 100%! After that, we went home & picked up the kids. It's hard to go on all-day dates with four children, but it can be done. We stopped at Subway and each couple split a five-dollar footlong. It was very romantic, even though Matthew waited in the car with the two youngest and I took Bethany & Gwen in to order. The girls got to order their own sandwiches all by themselves which contributed to the date atmosphere and made them feel very grown-up. We ate our lunches in the car on the way out to Green Valley Gap, a hidden gem of a canyon behind St. George with easy access and bolted routes. We had to keep reminding the children that we were on a date, that this excursion was mostly for the adults and they were privileged to get to tag along. It wasn't as bad as it sounds for them because they were allowed to boulder and explore to their hearts' content, and eat an entire package of Chips Ahoy Cookies.

We set up a few top-rope climbs and Jena and I showed off our shoes.

Matthew and I also lead-climbed two different bolted routes. That was a new experience for me. It's a different feeling to be climbing above your last point of protection, knowing that if you fall, you're going to fall twice as far before the rope catches you. Exhilirating, challenging, motivating. It was awesome.

At the end of our date, we caved in to our daughters' begging and let them climb too. I said it before, but it is so fun to watch them.

Catherine experienced the most excitement of the day when she slipped off the rock and swung out a bit. She was perfectly safe of course, but terrified. I wasn't even holding on to the rope! she cried as Matthew belayed her back down. I comforted her and pointed out that, although she lost her hold on the rock, she didn't fall, because her dad had the other end of the rope.

Every time I'm in a harness I can't help apply the lessons of climbing and rappelling safely with our journey through life. As we climb, there are times when we are scared, when we don't think we can do it, when we can't see the way or what to hold onto. Sometimes we slip and fall, but not far. If we have hooked into our protection properly, our belayer breaks our fall, and we are safe no matter what mistakes we make.

In life, we also have a belayer. I think of the steps I take to anchor myself to the rope: doubling back the straps on my harness, locking the carabiner, tying a secure knot, double-checking with Matthew, using good quality, trust-worthy equipment.

There are similar steps we take to anchor ourselves to our Savior, so that he can catch us when we fall: keeping the commandments, checking in with our Father in prayer, exercising faith, reading the scriptures and the modern revealed word of God, staying morally clean. If we take these meaures to keep ourselves safe from temptation and sin, it doesn't matter if we are not perfect, if we can't hold on, or if we are weak and we slip and fall.

Our loving brother, our Savior, has the other end of the rope and will break our fall, hold us up, and show us the way to keep climbing until we reach the top. We are safe if we are tied in securely to His rope.

Climbers always wait until their belayer is ready and tells them "on belay," before climbing. Then, they say "climbing," and the belayer answers "Climb on!" The peace and safety we pray for every day comes from letting Christ be our belayer. We call out to Him in meekness and with repentant hearts, "Climbing! I don't know if I can do this, I don't know know exactly what to do. I am going to need help, but I will try my best. I am climbing."

He answers, "Climb on. You are safe. I will show you the way and catch you if you fall. It won't always be easy, but you can do it. I believe in you. Believe in me. Climb on!"