“Come on up. You can do it.’

My brother looked down at me from high up in the tree.

I swallowed a lump in my throat.

Sure, I wanted like anything to climb that tree

so that I could look down at everything from on high

but

my fears were great and doubts loomed.

Like what if I fell.

My eyes followed the thick trunk up to where it branched.

Could I possibly pull myself up to there?

And then how would I ever know where to put my foot next?

No, tree climbing was not my thing

I, at six was much more comfortable staying on the ground playing with my dollies.

But

I looked up high again.

Way high and I saw my eight year old brother grinning down at me.

“Come on, silly. I’ll help you.”

Relief washed over me at those words.

If my brother helped me I had nothing to fear.

He’d been climbing that tree like a cat for weeks

and knew exactly what branch could hold his weight

and where to climb to go even higher.

Suddenly I heard the sound of scrambling

and watched as he lowered himself to just a little above me.

“Now ya just put your foot up here,” he pointed.

My fears were great

but my trust in my brother to help me was even greater.

So I stepped closer to the tree and began to climb it.

Slowly

one step at a time courage

refusing, absolutely refusing,  to look down

following the voice of my brother –coach.

Until  I reached the branch where he told me to sit

and I lowered my young body to a sitting position

and looked all around

and down.

“Wow” was all I could say. I couldn’t believe it.

It was beautiful up there so high in the sky.

That was the beginning for me of many climbs up that tree.

A coach takes you from where you are

to where you say you’d like to be.

A coach not only encourages but also gives you skills and tips on how to do it.

A coach sticks close by your side

cheering you on as you make progress.

Of course, the Master Coach is Jesus

Always by our side

Always directing our steps

And He has marvelously gifted a few people

to coach others

in moving forward in life.

Life is about moving forward.

So what tree have you been wanting to climb?