Leap Years and Leaping Forward – My Adventure Aboard the Carnival Sunshine

February 29, Leap Year Day, seemed like the logical day to do something unusual. 

But I was on a cruise ship churning toward the Bahamas with friends, so my options for unusual were limited. 

Eat something scary from the Things You’ve Always Wanted to Try list in the ship’s dining room? Nah. Choking down braised ox tongue was a little too unusual for my taste. 

Get a hot rocks massage in the spa? I’ve never had one, so that would be different, but the $129 price tag scared me away. 

Gamble in the casino? Nope. Even if I didn’t have a conviction against gambling, I’d probably lose all my money and contract lung cancer from the clouds of cigarette smoke filling the room. 

This course isn't exactly like the course we experienced. Ours was SCARIER!

That left one option: the high ropes course. Suspended 150 feet above the deck of the ship, the 230-foot spider’s web of ropes, bridges, swinging steps, and balance beams provided the perfect opportunity to do something I’d never done before. And the best view on the ship—if I didn’t pass out from fright. 

From what I’d read, the most challenging time to tackle the course is on a sea day. The movement of the ship combined with sometimes gusty winds make navigating the ropes course even more difficult.  

February 29 just happened to be a sea day. 

But completing a high ropes course was on my bucket list, so I queued up. The guide instructed me to climb into a canvas harness attached to a tether anchored to a metal cable five feet above the ropes course. She crisscrossed straps over my shoulders, clicked a few carabineers, and cinched everything tight. My friend Maryann lined up behind me. 

“What if I don’t like it?” she said, looking down at the deck below. 

“Then you keep moving,” the guide said. “There’s no turning back.” 

Feeling like a contestant on Ninja, I looked at the first challenge—a footbridge comprised of 12-inch wooden steps held together with rope and swaying in the wind. 

“Don’t look down. Don’t look at the other climbers. Just focus on the next step,” the guide said as I hesitated at the edge of the platform. Why did I think this was a good idea? 

But the only way out was through, so I stepped off the platform and onto the first step. 

Gripping the one-inch ropes on either side of the bridge, I made my way across one trembling step at a time. Step. Wobble wobble. Step. Sway sway. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Wobble sway, wobble sway. Wobble. 

And then the big step that brought me onto the next stable platform. Halleluiah! One part of the journey complete. 

I took a few deep breaths to ensure I didn’t pass out, then off to the next challenge. I couldn’t linger. There were people following me. 

Ahead of me stretched a net of ropes criss crossing like a tic tac toe grid. One misstep and my foot would slip through a square, trapping me like a fly in a spider’s web. 

 Behind me, Maryann was struggling. Her legs are shorter than mine and her fear of heights greater.

She was in trouble. 

“Don’t look down!” one friend called from beneath her. 

“You can do this!” another said from behind her. 

“One step at a time,” yelled another, her camera poised to capture every moment. 

I called instructions from ahead. “Put your feet in the center of the boards. Only four more to go. You’re almost there.” 

A few more wobbly steps, and she was close enough for me to reach out and boost her onto the platform. She smiled weakly and laid her hand on her heart. “Why did I ever agree to this?” 

But the only way out was through, so we set off again. 

I went first to find the footholds while those behind us cheered us on. We reached the most difficult portion of the course—two thin ropes with nothing to hold on to except the tether strap that anchored us to the cable above. 

“Hold on to the strap,” the guide yelled. “Trust the anchor. It’s got you.” 

There, dangling between heaven and earth, I saw my life as God sees it. 

We leave the safe cocoon of our mothers and step onto the path ordained for us. We can’t see the destination, only the road ahead. The only way out is through. 

 Yet God doesn’t send us out alone. 

If we’ve placed our faith in Him, He sets the course before us. He hems us in behind and before. He surrounds us with caring people—parents, siblings, and brothers and sisters in Christ to show us the way. 

Those who have navigated similar obstacles share their wisdom and encouragement. Others warn us away from danger and slippery paths. Fellow travelers facing the same challenges inspire us with their companionship and love. Friends reach out to lift us up. 

If that isn’t enough, higher than the highest ropes course stands a great cloud of witnesses cheering us on (Hebrews 12:1). 

And when we reach the most difficult part of our journey? The places we have to walk alone? 

Jesus is there. 

We hold tightly to the Anchor, knowing that if we stumble, slip, or lose our grip, He will hold us fast. He promises never to let us go (Deuteronomy 31:8). He will bring us safely to the other side. 

How about you? Where are you in this faith journey? Have you taken your first trembling steps? Seek out brothers and sisters in Christ to walk with you. 

Have you navigated trials and grown stronger because of them? Look around for someone who can benefit from your wisdom and experience. 

Are you in the hardest place? Surround yourself with God’s people and cling to Jesus. Rest in the secure knowledge that He is holding on to you, and will never ever let you go. 

He will see you safely through.

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