Dying to live!

In Twin Falls, Idaho, a small group gathers for a small breakfast at what is ominously called Death Camp. It's here this group begins to talk about the days jump from 486-foot high Perrine Bridge. Tom Aiello, who heads up this group begins off the morning with what one might perceive to be a kind of pre-game speech..."Expect to get injured. It's going to happen. You can avoid dying, but the only way to be sure is to walk away. You're going to meet great people, share great experiences with them, bond with them and then they die. Expect this to happen." It's at this point one might ask why would those known as base-jumpers...take such a risk? I think one guy might have answered it best..."In facing death, I feel most alive."

Now it's here I have to pause, for like many of you my initial response to such a sport is simply this... are you nuts! I mean come on, jumping from a building, or bridge...crazy! Yet behind the insanity of the sport itself one has to wonder, are they on to something...this idea of facing death to feel if but for a moment alive? Interesting enough their were a lot of people 2,000 years ago that would of thought of 12 men willing to leave it all behind just as crazy. Twelve men who would be led by a similar motto...that in facing death they'd find life. That if they wanted to really know what it is to live, they'd have to be willing to face the death of self. That if they wanted to truly live, they needed to be willing to let go of the need to make life all about them. To truly live they had to be willing to let go of past fears, failures, and shame. To truly live, meant leaving behind the desire for the good-life and diving head first, and without abandoned into a God-life. And today our choice is no different. See everyday I believe we have opportunities to really experience what it is to be alive, moments that only happen when we're willing to face death and make the choice to let go of our desire to stay safe, to stay comfortable...and to dive into the needs of a neighbor who is hurting, to dive into time with our spouse, to dive into helping a stranger in need. It's noteworthy that when Paul speaks of freedom, and what it really is to live he doesn't speak of living for ourselves...but rather living for God, and out of that living for others. "For you have been called to live in freedom--not freedom to satisfy your sinful nature, but freedom to serve one another in love [Gal. 5:13]." Let me ask, are you willing to die to live? Are you willing to let go of whatever it is you've been clinging onto a past, a fear, stuff, yourself...and dive into the leadings and promptings of the Holy Spirit's work in your life. Quit playing it so safe! Quit clinging onto that which God never called you to hold onto! You know Paul says that when we make that jump into freedom, by responding to the needs the Holy Spirit calls us to, listen to what we find...(Gal. 5:22) love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control..."life to the fullest.". Everyday we have a choice to hold onto ourselves, or let go, dive into the God opportunities around us...and discover what it is to truly live life to the fullest!

To read more about the ESPN article on base-jumping go to... http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=basejump&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab4pos1