THE ROLLING ROOFTOP
During his lifetime, my brother-in-law Roger owned a house moving company. He jacked up houses, lowered them onto huge dollies, and drove down the street, as if pulling a small trailer.
Once he asked me to help on a moving job. I’m far from being famous for my agility, so he must’ve been desperate for help. Roger assigned me the task of standing on the rooftop and lifting up traffic lights, as the house rolled down the road. “That sounds simple enough,” I thought. Right…
Imagine straddling the apex of a house as it moves down the road, maneuvering a hundred-pound traffic light in the air, while maintaining your balance. Then pivoting 180 degrees, and slowly returning the light to its original position, while avoiding the possibility of tumbling to an untimely death. It was as easy as scaling the Eiffel Tower … blindfolded.
On some days, that’s life. Like a rolling rooftop, everything comes at us at once. The car won’t start, the toilet backs up, the principal from your kid’s school calls—and it’s not to commend their sterling behavior. Demands come at us from every side like fiery darts: work, family, friends, church. On those days, it’s easy to cry, “It’s too much!” But there’s an answer.
During his lifetime, Jesus experienced many “rolling rooftop” days. Mark 6:31 states he and his apostles were so busy “coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat.” But it never phased Jesus. (Remember how he fell asleep in the middle of a storm?) Jesus knew how to rest in the Father’s presence. Practicing this can be as hard as standing on a rolling rooftop. But when we surrender to his will, everything changes. A supernatural peace engulfs us, enabling us to handle whatever comes our way, which makes all the difference on those “rolling rooftop “days.
Ponder:
In what specific areas of your life do you feel like you’re on a rolling rooftop?
How does the picture of Jesus resting in the storm inspire you to trust God more?
Pursue: For a deeper dive, study Mark 3:13-5:20. (This is one day in the life of Jesus).
Lord, on those “rolling rooftop” days, fill me with your presence and give me a heart of peace.
This is an excerpt from my book Thriving in Troubled Times. For more information, visit BarneyCargile.com