I heard this several weeks ago and it has stuck with me. It was the story of Paul being lowered in a basket over the city walls to escape persecution by the religious leaders who didn't care for a reformed murderer preaching the gospel. The title of the lesson was, "Don't let go of the rope".

Don't let go of the rope because:

1) You don't know who is in your basket.

Only God knows the amazing things that can be accomplished by this person you hold on to. Who knows what the future will bring? Paul went on to write most of the New Testament.

2) You don't know how far they are from the bottom.

Don't give up on them now, you don't know how far they have to fall. You have no idea how close they are to getting it all together.

3) You may be the only one holding the rope.

The Bible tells us the disciples held the rope. How many? We don't know. What if you're the only lifeline that person has?

I have thought about these points many time over the last few months. At first I thought of myself only as the one holding the rope, but then I began to think of myself as the one in the basket. So to all those who hold my ropes: Don't let go. I may be something special, yet. I might be closer to the bottom than you think and you may be the only one keeping me from falling just now.

Don't let go of the rope.