For the past couple of days my team and I have been camping at a place called Hampi: an ancient village with numerous ruined temples that’s famous for its amazing rock climbing and culture. There’s this place called hippy island, where travelers and tourists from all over the world come to climb and explore. Advertisements for yoga classes are on every corner, every hostel makes you feel like you’re on a tropical island, reggae music is constantly played at every bar. For me, I couldn’t think of a better way to spend New Years. The atmosphere of this place is incredible, and good vibes are truly in the air. Everyone is so friendly and all have amazing stories from their travels. I got to spend a lot of time talking to foreigners– whether that be from climbing, exploring, or biking, I constantly found myself in good conversation with complete strangers.
We got to climb with a number of people from all over the world. I became good friends with a man from France. We made a little small talk, exchanging names and where we’re from; but for the several hours we were together we mostly just focused on solving harder and harder bouldering problems and challenging and helping each other solve the routes. This has been one of the sweetest of times spent with a complete stranger.
On the first day of 2018 we set up camp, pitched our tents, and climbed under the full moon. We woke the next morning to the sunrise and 2 locals getting reader to climb. I crawled out of my sleeping bag and joined them, and the welcomed me into their life and morning.
Here at hippy island everyone is so open, genuine, and happy. Everyone gladly answers your questions about their life and how they got there. I noticed a few things about these world travelers. They just drop everything and leave, some plan on staying for months on end. They abandon their life back home for a new life full of adventure. They live in abandonment.
The more I think about this concept, the more I think about the hippies on hippy island, the more I’m reminded of what Jesus says in the book of Matthew, that “whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.”
These world travelers are losing their life in hopes of finding something new, and even though this is a metaphor, I’m reminded of the new life that Jesus promises us.
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come”
Jesus doesn’t tell us to live a life where adventure comes before him. And unfortunately I don’t think many of these people are finding what they’re looking for or getting the answers they thought they would. But I pray that these people meet the Jesus who promises a new life that is far better and filled with more adventure than any other life they could wish for. That they meet the Jesus that fulfills and makes you feel whole and satisfied. I can tell you firsthand that our God keeps all his promises, and I want everyone to experience this love.
There’s a worship song called “I don’t live for myself” and the lyrics are “If the son of God could lay down his life than who am I to hold onto mine?”
I love hearing those words, it always makes me ask myself “what do I have to lose?”
It serves as a reminder that this life isn’t my own. It’s a reminder that life with Jesus is far better than any other life.
I’m trying to live in abandonment more and more everyday, letting go of everything and simply following Him.
