A Wild Ride

A quote making the rounds today is sure a good one. As far as I know, no one has been able to ascertain who first wrote or spoke this:

“Life shouldn’t be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather, to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly shouting….”Wow! What a ride! Thank You Lord!!!”

As long as we’re not talking about the burn-out due to human effort trying to accomplish God’s will, I embrace this point of view whole-heartedly. Whoever said life was about staying safe—doing only what serves my needs for comfort or convenience? What fun is that? This is an adventure with our older brother Jesus, as the kingdom of God makes itself known before the kingdoms of this world. Who wants to be on the sidelines watching that?

As I write this I have just been informed of a dear friend of mine who was airlifted out of a rural area to a hospital in New Guinea yesterday with a rampant infection in his left leg and a severe case of malaria in his lungs. This man is in his 60’s and could stay home with his children and grandchildren, but instead spends months at a time in some of the most difficult countries of our world to help people there live outside the box of organized religion. He’s in the game! Yes, he could be safer, but he couldn’t be freer! His name is Bob and I would invite you topray for him as God brings him to your mind.

One of the men who helped me write the current BodyLife article on the Tree of Life, sent this to following to me. He lives on Vancouver Island and does a bit of sailing. It resonated with my heart, and I wanted to pass it along to you:

This is an awesome journey but it often seems like launching into uncharted waters. Certainly ones beyond my knowledge and ability to navigate. Still “a ship is safe in harbor but that is not what ships are built for” Oceans of His love whilst perfectly safe for His children are at the same time wild, deep and untamed. Sometimes my heats quails as I am plunged with His wild abandon into the depths. He is so supremely confident in His ability and I am often brought to pause and gasp as He invites me along for the careening slalom ride down the mountainous waves and then eventually back up to the crests for a surfing experience. I am glad that there is a place of shelter as well as wild abandon in his heart. Is there an urgency in his voice these days or am I simply hearing His joyous cry as the ages draw closer to their end? I am not always sure but I am more and more sure of His amazing love and so in a way it doesn’t matter.

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By: Wayne Jacobsen | 2005/08/17 | History | Trackback | Comments [RSS 2.0]

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Dave A. from RI

Comment by Dave A. from RI | 2005/08/17 at 19:23:00

Hi Bro,

My Ontario friend pointed me to this blog entry as well as encouraged me to reread, "Feasting on the Tree of Life." I love that piece. It spoke strong to me. However some personal health issues recently caused me to forget the wonderful truths therein. I had allowed myself to spiral down to one very anxious and depressed mood.

We all need reminding of these things, don’t we? I said to myself that as far as believing that He loves me, I do believe that with all my heart. No one or nothing can budge that truth from me. But those frustrating and sometimes scary things of life test our trust in Him. Yeah, I know He loves me, but will He really take care of me? Yes, He will. Yes, He does. Because He has. I will again place my trust where it belongs… in Him who is faithful to complete what He began.

Oh how I have missed that reality!

Much love to you.

Dave
Dom

Comment by Dom | 2005/08/19 at 12:29:00

I had a quick moment to scan over this and really enjoyed the freedom and grace i sense in you Wayne more and more.I feel it’s really unessesary for us to always scare other christians out of complacency and dont agree with that formula,and yet i know that in this life we will have tribulation and we need to know the comfort of another brother or sister encouraging us in the faith -along the journey we live in our lives.I admire your heart of grace in this post and am beginning to see the desire of the Lord in you being expressed without manipulation and guilt or fear to encourage and warm the hearts of the saints!May God increase this in you…peace,Dom
homebrewer

Comment by homebrewer | 2005/08/20 at 09:03:00

I hate to take an analogy too far, but it is interesting to me that as I watched the news recently I learned just how dangerous it is for warships to stay in port. Out on the sea, they are able to defend themselves from missile attacks with quick acting gatlin guns, but in port they can be shot at by passersby and cannot respond or defend themselves for fear of doing damage to the people and property in the background.

It seems that even the toughest ships are not so safe in harbor after all.
Kelly M-S

Comment by Kelly M-S | 2005/08/20 at 12:14:00

This is just a note to Dave A. I’ve missed your input on Lifestream and have been wondering about how you are doing. It’s good to hear from you – even just ‘stumbling’ across a note from you here on Wayne’s blog.

Blessings Dave -

Kelly
Dave A. from RI

Comment by Dave A. from RI | 2005/08/20 at 17:20:00

Hi Kelly,

Thanks for your kind thoughts. I’ve been more in the background here and at God Journey – just gleaning the great stuff and sharing it with other folks. Been kind of a tough year but Father continues to be faithful.

Blessings to you.

Dave

A Wild Ride

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