It was one of those weird warm winter days.
The sun was glaring through the windshield, just perfectly, so I had to squint to see the road.
I have spent so many hours staring out, or at the windshield.
Small talk with a buddy.
Reading a map, wondering what is the fastest way to the next house, hoping we didn’t have to deliver the big armoire or white couch yet.
Slapping your buddy, telling him to check out the legs on the girl in the car next to you.
That was the highlight of the day.
When an attractive woman would distract you from your own thoughts, or from having to listen to your buddy’s ideas.
Half the time our conversation could be summed up in a couple of grunts.
Day in and day out staring at the bugs and dirt on the windshield.
One time my friend cleaned the windshield until I asked him what he was doing.
The windshield was clean, stop wasting time.
Then he changed his contacts, and decided it wasn’t the windshield that was dirty.
True story.
I am thinking of this time in my life, when I said there has to be more to life.
What am I living for?
As I type this I can see the mountains of Palenque.
Green pastures and palm trees stretch out before me.
Surrounded by butterflies, a foot long lizard just scurried 5 feet away.
In the background a girl is singing.
Big puffy clouds hang in the sky and a gentle breeze brings it all to life.
At this moment in time, it is hard to believe it was almost exactly 4 years ago that I decided to truly try to live again.
To try to live the mountain top.
Not just have a few cool experiences, then come back to ‘real life’.
I decided life was ‘real’ wherever I was, so let me truly live!
Wasn’t it William Wallace who said “all men will surely die, but few men ever really live”?
(at least in the movie).
I consider myself one of the few.
Not one of the few who CAN truly live, but one of the few who truly CHOOSE to live.
It is a choice we make every day.
I don’t succeed every day, but as I sit here I can see so many times where I have asked God for more.
As I type this I have prayed that God would use my fingers on this keypad to do more than share my experience, but to challenge so many of you.
To stimulate your soul.
To wake up your spirit to the life you could be living.
That God has so much for all of us, all we have to do is ask.
It will be given to you.
Seek and you will find it.
God wants this for you.
For you to be truly alive.
That the true life for you will not be found in what you are now doing.
It will take courage and faith.
Your pension, your 401k?
Is that what is preventing you from truly living?
Your benefit package?
Is that what you have traded your soul for?
Is that what you have traded what might have been?
It is not to late!
Even for my parents!
Go!
Find that life of adventure and courage and romance that you don’t believe is actually there!
The ‘Daily Bread’ from January 3 quotes from another one of my favorite movies, one of my favorite lines:
“What we do in life echoes in eternity”.
That was Maximus, rallying his troops.
I think this applies to us.
It is time to rally our lives.
To evaluate what we are living for.
To truly evaluate what we are slowly dying for.
Every breath we breathe is one closer to standing before our God.
Every breath we breathe is one less we have to give to our Saviour.
One of the leaders said today, that every time he has communion, he thinks that the next one he has might actually be with Jesus.
Whether it is because we have gone to heaven, or Jesus has returned.
It is not to late, Jesus has not returned yet, but I believe he is coming.
The early church was so powerful because they actually thought Jesus was serious about his return.
Jesus said that the harvest is plenty, but the workers are few.
When will you decide to truly live, to take your inheritance, to join the work?
The idea of regretting I only have one life to live comes to mind.
How I wish that I could be more than I am, but I can totally live this one life.
So can you!
“Since then you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Set your minds on things above not on earthly things.”
A quote from Paul in his letter to the Colossians.
In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul prays for the believers: “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the saints to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and Christ Jesus
throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
What Paul did, with the one life given to him, he prays that we can all live like him!
Immeasurably more!
Than all we ask or imagine!
That is our God!
Henry Blackaby says to find out where God is working and join him.
You don’t have to find something on your own, Lone Ranger (!), join people who are doing it!
I have and life will never look the same!
This is what God intends for us, find your tribe, people who are walking with God, already on the path you know you should be on.
What are you waiting for?
Rise and Shine!
