Lobster Claws

Trust is not something I do very well. In fact, there are times when I don't even trust myself. For example, I sometimes have to make many trips back into my house before I leave to make sure I've unplugged my flat iron...or maybe that's OCD - hmmm, something to discuss later.


I am not a fan of lobsters. I don't like to eat them, I don't even like to walk by them swimming in their tank at the grocery store. I think it's their claws that scare me most. I'm not even sure I could pick one up and put it in a pot of boiling water...even with its claws tied.


I'm not sure what possessed me to think that 30 or even 60 feet in the air would be something fun to do, especially since it involved both aforementioned nemeses of my existence, but with a different type of lobster claw.

Steve was our fearless leader, I think...when he told us his name, I was watching as the group before us struggled to cross the cable-suspended planks. Then, Steve said something that caused me to panic, "You will have to trust each other as a team to get across. Don't try to do this alone." One of my teammates sarcastically commented, "Well, this should be easy for Leigh, since she has such a great ability to trust."

Then, he began to explain how the "lobster claws" attached to the rope around my waist would suspend me from the cables above and keep me from falling. My thoughts were, "Oh sweet mercy. Not only do I need to trust my teammates, I have to trust these lobster claws, too?" (Note: In case someone reads this and questions my spelling of "too," this is the correct spelling when the word is used to mean, "also." Some people would argue with a rock. Yes, this was an actual argument that recently took place with one person against SEVERAL, sharp writers.)

We proceeded. Bill was a leader from the beginning. He stepped out onto the first plank, held out his hand and then, I began the adventure. Libby followed and Steve was the last. I immediately began wishing God had given me longer legs to make the steps from plank to plank a little less frightening. My palms were sweaty, making it difficult to hold on to Bill and Libby and I had no trust whatsoever in the lobster claws attached above my head.

I think it took an hour to do the whole ropes course, and it must have taken 45 minutes to walk the planks.

The next step was a different type of challenge...walking a tightrope while leaning completely on a banister-height rope. The ropes crossed halfway, which meant stepping over ropes to get where we needed to be. We reached the "crossrope." It was at this point my anxiety began to taper. A teammate slipped off the tightrope, and there, 30 feet in the air, the lobster claws did just as they were supposed to do...kept him from falling.

We finished the rest of the course in a reasonable amount of time, obviously 15 minutes later (haha). Every new stage of the course seemed to become more of a journey, although a little easier. In our progression, we became more of a team - even I began reaching out my hand to help the others.

I was completely exhausted by the time we reached the platform from which we would "zip" to the ground. Yes, I was relieved.

I was relieved to be finished, but I was also relieved that in my doubts and fears, I still have, deep within my soul, the ability to trust. Will I walk closer to the lobster tank at the grocery store? Absolutely not.