The past couple of weeks I have been really sick. This is not a regular occurrence in my life. I can handle the sick part of being sick. However, I can’t handle the down time of being sick. Not only was I sick and couldn’t go into the office or go to church; I had no voice for about a week. This proved to be the hardest part of it all.
During my time of healing, I was under a lot thoughts. I prayed some, read some, but more than anything I slept. My thoughts would pour over into my dreams. There were moments I didn’t know if I was awake or if I was still dreaming. It was weird. But through all these thoughts and dreams I found something. It wasn’t until tonight that I had found it. I didn’t even know I was looking for it. I’m finding myself kinda messed up again.
I got home today around 5:45pm. My house was clean, my dog wasn’t in the mood to play, and I was really tired. I think I’m still recovering my my ten day sickness. I laid on the couch and was stricken with boredom. You know your bored when you take a shower just to do something. I mean I was bored! While taking an intensely hot shower, God reminded me of some thoughts that I had while I was sick. The word “adventure” keeps coming to the forefront of my mind.
Being sick with no voice really sucks. My voice was so bad people didn’t even want to talk to me over the phone because it hurt them. While being immobile I found myself wanting to belong to an adventure. I’ve been in a mode of settlingdown for the past 10 months. I have a great job that I find fulfillment and joy in. I own my own home. I’m remodeling or updating it as we speak. I make good money. Enough that I don’t have to live paycheck to paycheck anymore. And I have Lucy;my black lab. Where is my sense of adventure.
People are drawn to stories like Braveheart, Troy, the Notebook (I know it’s a chick flick but it is a really good story), Armageddon, and many others like because of the adventure. I don’t want to know what the outcome will be. I don’t need to know all the different variables and possibilities. People will often try to push out the passion by showing you all the dangers and the bad things that could happen. What about the Great things that could happen. The stories I mentioned above were about fictional and non-fictional characters that had passion and didn’t care about what the cost maybe. Or, if they did they found that the cost, however great it maybe, would be worth it. I want an adventure! I want something to fight for; something I could suffer great cost for.
Tonight God showed me that adventure through the cross. Have you ever really listened to the words of Jesus. You want to talk about going against the normal and leading with passion. Look what it cost Him. He was sitting at the right hand of the Father. He created everything that we see and everything that we don’t. He created eternity. Try wrapping your little mind around that. He came down to this earth to die for His creation. And He calls everyone of us to do the same. That is to die.
In Matthew chapter 10, if you want to know who I am just read this chapter, Jesus while sending out His disciples tells them to pick up their cross and follow Him. Do you know what Jesus is saying? He is telling them pick up the suffering, the shame, pain, persecution, and death that is associated with following Jesus. Now there is Joy that surpasses all understanding and blessings that you can even imagine that also comes with following Jesus. But you can’t have one without the other.
So my question to you, as it was to myself only a few hours ago, is the cost worth it? Are you willing to live for something so great and life changing? It requires first that you must die to yourself. You give up the things you want for the things the Christ wants. In return you gain a truly fulfilled life. Jesus also says in Matthew 10 “whoever finds his life will loose it, but who ever looses his life for my sake will find it. Are you ready to give up trying to control your life? Are you ready to try something different? Why do we continue to go back to the things that don’t work time and time again hoping for a different outcome? Why do we want comfort above adventure? Why do we have to know all the variables and possibilities before we move on a decision? Why play it safe when we could truly live?
I worked in physical therapy for six years. Most of the patients I worked with were mature in their years. I always had one question I would love to ask some of the men. I would ask them what advice would they give a young man in his 20’s. Nine times out of ten I would hear “Don’t be afraid to take chances”. There were many that would have a look of regret when telling me this. I could see it in their eyes that there was some point in their lives they wish they would have taken a chance.
I’m ready for an adventure. I’ll say I’m ready to live an adventurous life. I’m young single and the only person that has to deal with the consequences is me. What do ya say? Let’s live out the words of Christ. Lets live for the cause of Christ. I want to love the Lord my God with all my heart, mind and soul. And I want to love my neighbor as myself. I want to serve. I want to give my life so that others may know my God and Savior Jesus Christ. I want to take a chance on people. I want to be optimistic that somethings in life will work out. I want to dream big because my God is that big. I want to live a life that is worth living. I will not settle for anything less than God’s best. I’m ready to take a risk at love. I’m ready to do this thing called life.
What are your thoughts? Are you ready to get off the sidelines and Live? Take a chance. What is one area that God is wanting you to take a chance in? Why are you afraid? Please leave your comments below. Thank you for reading. Blessings
Awesome blog! I think you raise some very strong and intense questions. I am constantly asking myself what am I waiting for? Am I waiting for comfort? Security? When thinking about long-term missions, I get excited!! But then I think about all of the “what ifs?” There is a song that I am particularly fond of by either Natalie Grant or Nicole Nordeman (can’t remember which) that says “so you want to change the world? What are you waiting for? Say you’re gonna start right now? What are you waiting for? It only takes one voice, so come on now and shout it out, give a little more. What are you waiting for?” Good lyrics. I often ask myself what it is that I am truly afraid of….
Beth Moore had a great way to describe the “what ifs” in our lives. She says that “if” is really an acronym for “I Fear”, i.f. I had never really thought of it that way. What if _____ ? What if blank happens? What if I fail? What if I can’t do it right? What if I screw up my son by something I do? Taking him to Honduras to be a missionary? I have realized over the past week with my dating relationship, that I have truly been living in some kind of fear. I didn’t realize it was happening at the time, but I realize it now. Beth Moore challenged my thinking by asking what would truly happen if I took more chances and lived a life free of fear? Am I afraid God won’t catch me if I fail?
It’s time to live a life free of fear. A radical life. A life full of adventure and taking chances. What if ______ then ____. Well….IF _____ then GOD. That’s what IF!! If blank happens, then GOD will be there. IF I fail, then GOD. IF I screw up, then GOD. IF I am afraid, then GOD. This should be something I repeat to myself several times a day!!
Recently, I’ve been feeling some burn out, but I think today, I am feeling re-energized and feeling as though God really is trying to wake me from my sleep!!
Time to get off the sidelines!! Thanks for giving the me the challenge!
I feel ya brotha lol. Really I do, just reading it reminds me of some of the risks I want to take in life that Ive put off just to be comfortable But to be reminded that were living for Christ and not ourselves is a whole other story and there is no room to be comfortable in that case, but only be comfortable in knowing that God loves us and every step we take within him has a purpose.