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WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here.  To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________   Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Holding_On_to_the_End_of_Your_Rope.mp3 ___________________________________________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, April 4, 2022, and this is Episode #14 of Series 2022. This episode is titled "Holding On to the End of Your Rope." In my award-winning novel, In Black and White, my main character, white woman Tori Pendola, faces rejection, guilt, and racial injustice as she strives to remain true to the black man she loves. The question she faces at the beginning of the story is, Will their love survive the cruel and bitter attacks against them, or will hatred and prejudice gain the upper hand? As Tori faces the demons of societal hatred, she reaches the end of her rope. Scorned by her parents and friends, she finds strength in her faith in God to hold on tightly to the end of her rope and to hang on even when things seem impossible. Perhaps you, too, are hanging on to the end of your rope. Perhaps you, too, are facing a hopeless situation whose solution or resolution seems impossible. If so, I urge you to hang on to the end of your rope, for help is nearby. So, what does it mean in practical terms to hang on to the end of your rope?  Here are a few thoughts from one who has had to hang on to the end of her rope many times during her 76 years here on this earth: 1) Focus on who is holding the rope. God Himself is holding your rope, and God won't let go. You can trust that He has a firm grip on your life and that you will not fall as long as you trust Him. 2) Focus on what the rope is made of. God's rope is unbreakable. It is made of faith. It will hold you as long as you hold it. It is only when we let go of God's rope that we fall into danger and destruction. 3) Focus on one moment at a time. Don't think about how much longer you will have to hang on to the end of your rope. Think about how long you have already hung on, and hung on successfully. With God's help, you can hang on one more minute. Remember this: God will not allow you to hang on to your rope beyond the strength He gives you. And He will give you His strength until it's His time to lift you off the rope. The expression "at the end of one's rope" is primarily an American expression. The British say "at the end of one's tether." The phrase can be traced back to the 1680s. Its meaning refers to someone who has been thrown a safety rope and has run out of length, strength, endurance, or patience. Why does God allow ropes in our lives for us to hang on to? One of the chief reasons is to get our attention. To get us to turn to Him when we have nowhere else to turn. When we are at the end of our rope, we are in a very vulnerable position of helplessness. And, sad to say, most of the time we have to reach that position before we will turn to God. In my novel, Tori was at the end of her rope. But as she hung there, she learned some powerful truths about herself and about God--truths you will find out when you read the book. Purchase details for In Black and White are at the end of this blog post or in the show notes if you're listening to the podcast.