I recently heard a story about a man who descended into a well by sliding down a rope.  He supposed the rope to be ample in length, but as he reached the end of the rope his feet had not yet touched the bottom of the well.  He had exhausted his strength and therefore could not climb back up; and he feared to let go lest he be dashed into pieces.  He held on as long as he could until sheer exhaustion set it.  When he let the rope slip from his grasp he fell to the bottom of the well – just three inches.

     Sometimes it can feel like we are at the end of our rope.  Inch by inch we descend into the darkness until our grip becomes loose and weak.  Fear, fatigue, and exhaustion sets in, and then we let go.  It is then we realize something: The ground was closer than we thought; soon we are back on our feet.

     When you reach the end of your rope, you may very well be at the beginning of your hope. It’s true, there are times we need to strengthen our grip and pull ourselves back up.  But then there are those moments when we have to let go, and simply trust God.  Hold on as long as you can, and then trust God to be your solid ground.