On the ride coming back from Troy I talked everyone to getting off the road to climb kind of a plateau formation in the cliffs that I'd always wanted to scale. And speaking of scale, it's much bigger and way harder to scale than it looks from the road. >_> But Hannah found a good way up it, so we all eventually made the treacherousness climb up there. It wasn't that tall and certainly didn't look that bad from the ground, but my adrenaline was rushing, and I hung on for dear life as I pleaded Jesus not to take me home that day. I wanted to meet him.... Just not today. Not like this.
At the flat point we all posed for pictures, and as I waited for my turn to climb down, I wondered if I really was scared of death. I had never claimed to be, and I could remember asking Jesus, "How long?" How long until Heaven? How much longer do I have to wait? How long until I can see your face for real, forever?
Then I started thinking about pixie dust.
Then I started thinking about pixie dust.
You know, faith, trust, and pixie dust...
And in Peter Pan 2 where we laugh at Jane for not believing and they push her off the cliff to fly, where she plummets screaming... (But Peter catches her of course.) But I wonder if I would believe, either. Weellll.... I would probably have faith, and I would make that jump. Knowing me. But I would make sure that cliff was over water, so if it didn't work there would be a soft surface to fall into. And I would still look at Peter and say, "You'll catch me, right?" I would have a fallback plan. Two of them, actually. Peter, and the water... (Ha, accidental Bible reference. xD) And I was thinking that's what so many people do or try to do when they dive into God - and can we blame them? We want security. So we make fallback plans to we have something else to fall on if God falls through for us. But from where I stood, I knew that was the complete opposite of what Jesus wanted me to do. Not physically... But you get the idea.
"No rope, no helmet... Take the jump."
Nothing but rocky ground to break my fall - break me, more like. If God doesn't come through, I die. That's exactly what I need to be doing. Depending on Him for dear life, jumping those cliffs.... Faith and Trust, no fallback plan. That is Crazy Love.
"No rope, no helmet... Take the jump."
Nothing but rocky ground to break my fall - break me, more like. If God doesn't come through, I die. That's exactly what I need to be doing. Depending on Him for dear life, jumping those cliffs.... Faith and Trust, no fallback plan. That is Crazy Love.
Then at youth group that night my pastor played this for us - the only Nickelback song that's actually completely wholesome in theme and lyrics. It blew me away. [The song, not that fact. <_<]
My best friend gave me the best advice
he said each day's a gift & not a given right
leave no stone unturned
leave your fears behind
and try to take the path less traveled by
that first step you take is the longest stride
If today was you rlast day
and tomorrow was too late
could you say goodbye to yesterday?
would you live each moment like your last?
leave old pictures in the past?
donate every dime you had?
If today was your last day
Against the grain should be a way of life
what's worth the prices is always worth the fight
every second counts cause
there's no second try
so live like you're never livin' twice
don't take the free ride in your own life
If today was your last day
and tomorrow was too late
could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live like each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past?
Donate every dime you had?
Would you call those old friends you've never seen?
Reminisce old memories?
Would you forgive your enemies?
Would you find that one you're dreaming of?
Swear up and down to God above
that you'll finally fall in love?
If today was your last day...
If today was your last day
would you make it up by mending a broken heart
you know it's never too late
to shoot for the starts
regardless of who you are
so do whatever it takes
cause you can't rewind
a moment in this life
let nothing stand in your way
cause the hands of time are never at your side
After the video we all split up into small groups and talked about living like today was our last, and what we should do. I think too often what causes us to put something off for tomorrow is the fear of judgement - we don't call old friends or talk to that person about Jesus because we don't know what they'll think. But if today is your last day on Earth.... what does it matter anyway?
With so many songs out there about living like we're dying, living fully now because we don't know how much time we have left, I wonder why more people aren't actually living like that. But if today is your last day on Earth.... what does it matter anyway?
With so many songs out there about living like we're dying, living fully now because we don't know how much time we have left, stepping out to do crazy things, etc., I wonder why more people aren't actually living like that. I guess we're just all bark and no bite.
Soo...
Start biting.
Start living, start believing that you only have one day left.
Dare to be outgoing, dare not to wonder or care what they'll think about you.
Send that message, take that adventure. Walk down the street and give all your money away.
Why not?
After all,
It's the last day you have.
All we have here... It's all smoke and ash.
You only have one day left here...
Make it count.
2 comments:
Thanks for posting this. Thanks to you, I did some things today I wouldn't have done other wise. You bless me in so many ways, Rachel. x) I love you!! <3
Yup. u_u It was an AWESOME first day of summer! =D
The cliffs were great... >:)
That's a REALLY good analogy, Rachel... about not having a fallback plan. That's what it's all about, isn't it? Trusting Him /completely/... because if He isn't enough, what is? If He can't save us, who can? If He isn't our security, what is? That smoke and ash... false security. Yeah. He asks for our full and complete trust. x) It can be scary at times... but that's what faith is. =')
Yeah, it really is something to think about... when I have opportunity to talk with random strangers... lunch break when I was at the strawberry factory... waiting outside the courtroom during jury duty... old lady next to me on the plane... etc... sometimes I won't speak with them, or will just talk for a few moments, then let the conversation die away and sink back into italics rather than mustering up the energy to think of something else to say to keep it going. Why? Fear, maybe. Fear that it'll get uncomfortable or something. Or laziness... "I just don't have the energy to be this social... I'm an introvert... hey, I talked more than last time! And next time I'll do a little more... it's just too much work to remain engaged in conversation for more than a few minutes max... and they might start talking about something I've never heard of before and then I'll look ignorant... I've talked long enough, I need some silence to recover now..."
But to live /like/ each day was one's last... Then there is no next time. It's just now. Here. Today. This moment, and not the next moment.
Yeah. Next time I'm in such a situation... I pray I will remember this lesson. =)
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