Monday, August 14, 2006

More Than Just Eating

Lest you think from this post that all we did was eat on our trip to the big city, I thought I'd mention some other stuff we did. One of the new things we did this time was go up the tower. We'd never done this with the kids, because frankly, they want an arm and a leg for a 62 second elevator ride and multiply that by 5 and my cheap frugal side just chokes at that! But we thought it's a once in a lifetime thing to do as a family, we were ahead on the trip budget, and though beloved hubby and I had been up the tower before in our lives, neither of us had ever been since they built the new observation floor.



If you look carefully at the picture on the right, you can see what looks like windows sticking out. That is actually a deck you can walk onto and look out. Now what is unusual about this deck is that it's floor to ceiling clear. "So what's so great about that?", you ask. Well, when I say floor, I mean, the floor is clear also. Yes, underneath your feet, clear.









Yes, my brave children thought this was just the coolest thing and walked right out on this thing without a second thought! My brain could not get past the 525 feet that we were above the ground and that I could see the street below. That's about 50 stories! Even though I knew that it actually was a plexiglass floor & not air space & the plexiglass could hold 2 full grown hippo's and not break, my heart pounded and I could not get myself to put my feet on the glass! My brain would not compute the facts to what it was visually taking in. I had to step on the metal frame and hang onto the railing!



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When I finally just looked straight out, and kept my eyes on the buildings in front, and just stepped out, I was then able to be standing on the glass floor and be able to give a giggle of relief that there actually was a floor there and that it did not give way when I stepped on it. Then I was able to take this great shot!


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You know my Christian walk is sometimes like that. I know the facts; God is a big God, He has proven himself faithful in the past, He does not ask me to do what I am not able with His strength to handle. Yet when he asks me to step out in faith with something new and that He will uphold me, my heart pounds, I'm looking down not seeing His Hand ready to hold me, my brain tells me I will fall, I'm grabbing onto things that I know, did I mention my heart pounding. Yet when I do finally make it past the struggle and keep my eyes fixed on Him, He is there holding me up and I get to do a really great thing that I couldn't have done without stepping out in faith!
"Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about
you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I
will uphold you with My righteous right hand."
Isaiah 41:10 NASB

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of
what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:1 NIV


12 comments:

Girl Raised in the South said...

We went to Niagara Falls for our anniversary this year; they have a tower like the one you went up. A bit unnerving to be up there, looking down. The view out - cool, the view down, scary! That aside, I loved your perspective of this - faith, God in control. Thanks for that.

Carol said...

Gracious! My totally-can't-stand-heights hubby would be freaked out by this. What city is this tower in? Reminds me of Seattle's Space Needle, but there's no glass floors there that I know of. (Well, there wasn't summer of '05, anyway.)

Beck said...

Eep. I couldn't walk on that, either. I like that shot of your kids "flying" - what were they doing?

Heather Smith said...

Looks like you had a fun time. Beautiful view!

Susanne said...

Beck: they were just laying on the floor looking thru it down to the street below. If you look straight down the tower wall it optical illusion looks like its bending

Shalee said...

God is so good today. Twice now I have read from friends God's words and they have been a balm for my soul.

Thanks Susanne. And I think it is fabulous the way you, hubs and your kids have had time together enjoying everything.

Anonymous said...

Wow, I got a little verklempt just looking at the photo! Kudos to you for your faith in that glass floor and in taking new steps forward. What a great analogy!

Islandsparrow said...

I've never gone up in the CN Tower although I've been in Toronto many times. I never realized there was a glass floor - now that is scary!! I think I would step out on it but I'd be like you - I'd be hanging onto the railing. what a gorgeous view from the top - that's the payoff for your bravery :)

I love the analogy too - so true - esp the part about grabbing onto things we know...

Donnetta said...

AAARRGH... it makes my heart pound just looking at the pictures of it! What an experience!

Anonymous said...

are you SERIOUS? The floor was see through? NO WAY. I would be scared! AAHH

Susanne said...

For those of you wondering that is the Calgary Tower.

Shawna said...

OHMYGOSH! I would be so scared, but those are some amazing pictures you took! What memories for your kids. You are exactly right about trusting God. What I know and what I feel are often two different things. Stepping out is so hard.