I now know what Peter felt like when he walked on water.
We left Niagara Falls and the U.S. and went to Toronto. There (besides trying to survive the worst traffic I've ever been through) we toured the tallest free standing tower in the world, the CN Tower. This tower eclipses the Eiffel and Seattle towers. In the 113 story high observation area there is a a glass floor. When I first heard about it, I immediately wanted to walk on it. The advertisement said that it was strong enough to hold a dozen hippos, so I figured it was safe. (okay quit laughing).
Looking down from the tower, the Skydome Baseball stadium below us (home of the Toronto Blue Jays) looked like a doll house with ants dressed in blue and white uniforms. Planes landing at the nearby airport looked like flies landing on a window sill.
When we arrived at the (2.5 inch thick) glass floor, I saw that you could look up into a mirror hanging from the ceiling to get the full illusion of walking on air.
When I eagerly walked to the edge of the glass floor and looked down, my brain told me it was safe, but my instinct suddenly took control and told my feet that "there was no way you're going out there." It took all my will and a lot of insults from my kids for me to even step onto the glass. I gripped the wall the whole way and my son claimed that I even clung to total strangers (even though I don't remember doing that! :)
About one foot from a strip of floor that divided the two glass floors, my equilibrium completely gave out and I dizzily told my daughter....I...WANT...OFF.....NOW!!! She wanted me to cross the second floor, but I just couldn't. She escorted me off the glass, dodging the 5 teen boys who thought it was "cute" to jump up and down on the floor. I quickly exited.
With knees shaking, I toured the rest of the tower, then returned once more to try to conquer my fear. It took another 10 minutes for me to step out onto the floor and quickly dash across only a corner of the glass.
Even though the floor was strong enough to hold us, it was clear glass, so it literally looked like you were walking on nothing. Fear still overcame me even though I knew there was an absolutely solid floor under my feet.
Faith is like that. You can't see it, but it is there...absolutely solid.
We just have to overcome our fear to walk on it. Thanks Peter.
Click here for picture: http://www.cntower.ca/portal/SmartDefault.aspx?at=928
Tammy 2000
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