“Don’t just put in your time. That is not enough. Be willing to put your whole life on the line when you go to practice.” –Writing Down The Bones
I love to watch my nephews play. It’s like they are invincible. It can never be too fast, too dangerous, too much of a risk for them. They could take a sit down coloring activity and turn it into WW III. Case in point large stuffed animals that could just sit nicely in the corner with all the other over stuffed friends; maybe a little pet here and there with some intermittent conversation. Not quite the tea party they had in mind. This lion and tiger had to find their way being ridden down a flight of steps. With more bounce and backwards lean to get as much acceleration as wooden carpeted steps would allow. Dragging them back up by the tail even seemed forceful and with great effort and intention. Nothing half way. If they are going to ride, it’s going to be a big, all in, ride it out, belly laugh, follow my lead event. Even though I like a good adventure and challenge, it’s nothing compared to what they can turn some steps and a stuffed animal into.
“Maybe we’ll make something, me myself I got nothing to prove.” –Tracy Chapman
In this child like innocence with all the uncontainable effort and enthusiasm, I can’t help but think of childlike faith. It’s trusting, open, without question. It follows and depends. Full of certainty and assurance. I was reading this morning about perfect, Divine Love. The love of Christ-sheer mercy and grace, scandalous, relentless, untamable, irreversible, immovable and without condition. Greater than the perfect mother or father could ever be combined and two times on Sunday. To live out of that kind of love and security-what couldn’t we do. What wouldn’t we try. How could we fail. And if we did, what would it really even matter. There’s just the next opportunity to get up and begin again. Coming from love, for love, back to love and all over again regardless of the outcome. Seeing so much pain, heartache and suffering, it often seems like we live the second half of our lives out of the lack of love we received from the beginning. But to replace those places, those losses, that heartache with perfect, divine, unconditional, get back in the game kinda love seems like that would have to stir up the greatest of efforts and enthusiasms. Adventures that could happen right in the middle of the day in your front foyer. Finding our way riding, leaning, dragging, whatever it takes up and down the steps just to be a part. What steps could be too steep. What animal could be too large when we know where we come from, who is with us, and where we are going.
“You’re doing your best dance, your best look, your praying that you make it.” –One Republic
Setting out to write more, to choose better, inviting more risk from a place of confident trust takes great faith. Maybe stepping out in any newness takes more faith than we bargained for. I realize I’m 5 days into my challenge and lost momentum pretty quickly. But tomorrow is a new day. Every day a gift to begin again with new mercies. To believe we are surrounded by perfect love without condition and to choose from that place seems unfathomable. Beyond risky. A love that can never be lost or misplaced or forgotten regardless of outcomes or circumstance seems suspect. Do we really believe that? Can it really be true? His love will never fail us? I hope in this adventure I can care less about those outcomes and more about the effort in participating. Less about what it looks like and more about enjoying the ride. Less about the results and more about the experience. Cause what’s the other option…watching the furry jungle animals from a distance who will collect dust in the corner. Taking a trip down the steps seems like the better ticket!
“Dance like no is watching, Love like it will never hurt.”
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