Steppin'out

So, I'm a painter. I paint houses. In my daily routine I also scrape old paint off of them, sand them, and prime them. I'm able to paint both indoors and outdoors. Now that the weather is nice outdoor painting season has started and I'm being reintroduced to scaffolding, planks, and ladders.

As a painter, I'm put into many situations each day where I am in a position to experience extreme physical pain or death if something goes wrong. Over and over again, I walk out on planks 20 feet or more off the ground, or stand on ladders even higher. Today I spent 4 hours harnessed to a chimney as I scraped, sanded, and primed the siding around the chimney. The roof was steep enough that if I lost my balance, I would probably lose my life. I entrusted my life to a harness, clip, and rope. Basically, if at any point during a given day something fails, I fall and get hurt. Or even if I trip or stumble over something while working high up on a scaffold or plank, I risk falling to the ground.

Usually, I've been okay about these things, but recently I've been fairly nervous when I put myself in such situations. I know that the likelihood of such a catastrophe are slim, in fact, I've been working for 8 years and never experienced any serious injury nor have any of my co-workers. (Well, okay I've fallen off three or four ladders, but that's it). This year I've not been very confident up in the air.

Yesterday I was reading my Bible during breaktime and came across a helpful passage in Proverbs. I'm not sure if I've ever read through Proverbs. I've read through the New Testament once in succession and have read some individual books and passages many times, but I've yet to make it through the Old Testament. It is one of my goals this summer. Back to the point, I read these verses:

Proverbs 3:25-26--Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.

It really put me at ease to read this. I know this passage isn't specifically talking about a painter up on a plank, but reading this helped me to feel safer and less nervous even today. I believe the Holy Spirit recognized my worry and led me to read a passage yesterday that would help me deal with the anxiety I've been having at work. And now I'm reminded every time I step out on that plank: The LORD is my confidence!