Life on a Tightrope

Kimberly Novak shares the challenges she faces in walking life's tightrope with grace. What helps you walk your tightrope?

Summer has arrived, and so have the picnics, parties, and festivals. I look back on fond memories of my childhood summers spentattending county fairs and witnessing the strength of the lady who stunned everyone as she balanced high above the crowd on a tightrope. However, at my young age, I was more focused on the glittery outfit she wore. I’m sure every adult in the crowd focused on the fact that at any moment, she could slip and tumble down upon us.

High-wire acts, as they are now called, take place in a new environment, away from the big-top tents, and are performed in convention centers and venues such as those in Las Vegas. Astonishingly, the most adventurous and fearless have taken to the tightrope over Niagara Falls in death-defying traditions.

It’s pretty easy to figure out that the number-one skill of a tightrope walker is balance. Secondary, but equally important, are strength and the desire to succeed. After all, the alternative is catastrophic. In my pondering of what life would be like as an aerialist, my tutu sparkling high above the crowd, I’ve concluded that life has a way of becoming its own kind of high-wire act. I wonder: Am I equipped to walk it, or will I slip and plunge to the ground?

Two Ways to Balance Stress

As a survivor of a traumatic brain injury, the doctors have insisted I live a stress-free life, and I have to laugh every time they ask me how things are going. I don’t think there is a single human being on this earth who can live a stress-free life. Even Jesus had stress! Nevertheless, over the last few years, I have relied on two stress relievers: God and a sense of humor.

I walk my own kind of tightrope every day, and some days I even wear glitter, though you will never catch me in a tutu. I have found that maintaining an equal balance between my stress helpers, God and humor, as my balance bar, keeps me walking straight and steady, with one foot in front of the other. I’m not sure that I’m ready to teach a master class or present a TED Talk just yet, but most days I am happy with how I am flourishing in my high-wire act. Here are just a few examples of how I balance God and humor into life, on a high wire.

How Do You Respond When Your Balance is Challenged?

High Wire Act:

The kids are asking for snacks, the phone is ringing, and the family dog has left a paper trail of toilet paper throughout the house.

Balance Bar:

Lord, give me the strength and desire to prioritize my life in its current state. Also, Lord, remind me where my phone is so I can capture the adorable look on the puppy’s face as she rests in a mound of toilet paper on the bathroom floor.

High Wire Act:

A family member is staying in the guest room and has mistaken your clothes for hers, piling them on the floor next to the drawer where they were neatly folded.

Balance Bar:

Looking up at my loved one, adorned in clothing sized for someone 4ft 10, and at the mess of articles on the floor I would now need to reorganize, I clung tightly to my balance bar and thanked God for the humor of the situation. I’m grateful for God’s grace to laugh rather than focus on the work and messiness of it all.

High Wire Act:

The day my grandmother passed, it brought on a stress that I had never felt before. Surprisingly, that day also gave me one of my biggest life blessings! As I entered the hospital room, Grandma leaped from her bed and into my arms.

“My Kimberly!” she shouted. Her recognition came as a surprise, as Grandma had Alzheimer’s Disease for many years. As her arms held me in an embrace I will never forget, she said, “I’m going to dance with your grandpa today! I sure hope he is still single.”

“Still single?” I questioned.

“Yep, there are a lot of single women in heaven, and he’s been there a long time,” Grandma responded, and never looked more joyful than in that moment. Soon after, the hospital staff wheeled Grandma away for a test, and she passed away that same evening.

Balance Bar:

The death of a loved one is not normally a place where humor would be used as a stress reliever, but I was moved to laugh when Grandma voiced her worries over Grandpa’s marital status in heaven. God had given me a gift, in the form of a precious memory to treasure forever. God gave me the strength to feel the embrace with joy even though it would be the last time she physically held me. My faith in God and my ability to trust Him in that moment provided the balance I needed to walk that high wire.

There are countless other examples of how life can quickly become a balance act. Sometimes we will be prepared, knowing something is coming; other times, we will be caught by surprise. It’s important, then, to practice a balancing act so that when the inevitable happens, you can grab your tutu and balance bar and walk life’s tightrope with confidence.

In my research on this topic, I found a helpful article by Andy Lee titled 7 Scriptures on Balance in Our Lives. I encourage you to review Andy’s insights and the suggested Scripture passages, which you can use with your balance bar as you walk life’s tightrope. As you learn more on the topic, consider what tools you need in your balance bar, and take God along for the ride! He’s ready and waiting for the invitation.

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Copyright 2026 Kimberly Novak
Images: Canva