Sometimes you just have to jump.

 

There is something I have been thinking about lately.   An opportunity that I don’t want to miss.  An epic “Carpe

Diem” if you will.  If I want to spiritualize it…maybe it’s a door that God has opened for me.   As I read this morning in James 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift is from above…”   There have been a few times in my life where anopportunity has presented itself to me that I have choice to jump and see where it has wings or don’t and wonder what could have happened.

Last week we took the kids to Heber Springs, AR.    Not really knowing what to expect until we got there…it turned out to be a fairly interesting area.   After browsing the town, checking out a ‘trickling’ waterfall, and trout hatchery we decided to head over to the lake and find a place to swim.    At the ‘beach’ there were rock formations over the water, which were all perfect for cliff jumping into the water.  From 3’ to 30’ kids and adults were jumping into the perfect temperature of water.    Mylissa’s first reaction, as well as mine,  was to say ‘no cliff diving for the kids!”  Its too dangerous…something might happen…you could get hurt…were the thoughts running through our head.    After watching many little kiddos jump in, I decided to jump in and let the kids decide if they wanted to try it.

As you can see… they had a blast.  There was this moment though… the moment of should I jump or should I not?  I told them they had to jump out away from the rock.  They couldn’t just hop in.   The risks and benefits were weighed.   He backed up…took a look and boldly and courageously took the 6’ plunge into the water.

There is an old song by Townes Van Zandt  called to “To live is to fly”…that I just love lyrics…

We all got holes to fill
Them holes are all that’s real
Some fall on you like a storm
Sometimes you dig your own
But choice is yours to make
And time is yours to take
Some dive into the sea
Some toil upon the stone
To live is to fly

So shake the dust off of your wings
And a sleep out of your eyes

What opportunities have you let pass by that you wish you seized the moment?  Do you wonder what if ____________?  What is holding you back?   If fear of the unknown is your main reason for not doing it …maybe its time to take 3 steps back…run…and jump.

Building Docks

Just got back from spending a week in NY with my family.  Going to NY continues to be a very emotionally difficult time for me.   Every time I return there is small part of me that thinks to myself that my Dad will be there when I get there.  Of course everything in me knows he will not be…but there is this expectation and then a let down when we get there.   I spent some time doing the things that my dad would normally do in the summer while I was up there…building dock sections and misc cottage repairs.  Mylissa helped me with the docks, which was a huge blessing and the boys helped drive a few screws as well.  Just building docks right?  Well the last time that I built docks was with my Dad.   There are dock forms that he built, that he used last.  Building a dock is a process.  Measure, get supplies, sand, stain, measure, cut, build, sand and then a finish stain.  During this whole process, I couldn’t get my Dad off my mind.  Part of me was angry, part melancholy, but part joy and gratification that I was filling my dads shoes.  Doing something that he would normally do or I would do with him.

It made me think about my life.  What am I teaching those around me?  What am I or what will I be teaching my children that they will take with them for the rest of their life.  There are many things that my father showed me by life example that I have developed me into the person I am today.
As a father of 3 children…how am doing this?   I began to think about this process.
Measure. Get Supplies. Sand(prep). Stain. Measure. Cut. Build. Sand. Stain.

In context to my children…How can I MEASURE where they are at? (in Christ, maturity, humility, obedience, disciplines).   How can I SUPPLY them? What tools and material do they need?  How can I begin to PREP them? Round off the rough edges?  How can I show them that their life was bought with a STAIN? That their sins are covered?  Then as they go through life…teach them to Measure their own life, assess where things are at?   Then CUT off what is not needed… Cut off the excess? Then BUILD your life on what is TRUE, what is HOLY, what is PURE.  Then let the Lord begin to SAND away the rough edges and help form them.   Repent of the sin and ugliness. Then always come back to Christ and let his STAIN cover them.  The blood that was shed for them and has covered their sins.

The hands of the craftsman always get dirty and banged up as he forms his masterpiece.   I have peace knowing that my master craftsman is willing to get dirty and banged up.  It lets me know that I am His and He is mine and that He cares about me deeply.