It was March 2008. Becca and I were blessed with a trip to Mission Training International for their Debriefing and Renewal Program for missionaries. It was a great week, partly because we were given the freedom to use our afternoons as we pleased. Becca and I chose to spend one afternoon hiking into the mountains above MTI (Palmer Lake, Colorado). After a long walk together we decided to split up for an hour or two and spend time along with God. I was thinking that I'd go for an hour, find a rock, and try not to freeze while I prayed without ceasing in the beautiful, snow-covered landscape. It didn't end up being quite that. I headed up a hill in two feet of fresh powder, was soaked with snow-melt by the time I was forced to stop due to burning lungs. I sat for a while catching my breath, spent about 3.5 minutes praying and then started focusing on the cold wet in my shoes rather than communing with God. I decided to head back, and do it on a run since it was seriously cold. So I headed back down the hill, running. Running quickly turned into jumping/sliding/laughing/falling/tumbling/recovering/bounding/whooping all the way to the bottom of the hill. I got down and thought, "Huh, I'm unscathed, let's do that again."(not sure if I actually went third person in my mind but it makes sense later). I didn't do it again mostly because I had already exhausted myself on the initial climb and doing that part again didn't sound as appealing. The next day, one of our debrief times asked us what had been the most significant realization of our day yesterday. I was nervous at first cause some in the group were talking about incredible healing they were experiencing from wounds they received on the mission field (all interpersonal which is pretty common) or incredible prayer times like the one I wanted to have on that rock. When the sharing came to me, I realized that the best thing I'd experienced that week was a sorta' controlled tumble down a hill after a somewhat failed-because-forced prayer time. I shared with the group, expressing my need to be adventurous and uncontrolled and risky and free like a kid more often. I think it resonated with a couple of people in the room. Regardless, it was a new realization to me. I need to do stuff like this more often.
So what does this have to do with a picture of me and my friend Matt on a ridiculous lookout rock at the top of Domwe Island a few weeks ago? After the hour hike up to the top of the island, we came out to this incredible view of Cape Maclear and the islands that sit off the shore. We enjoyed the view for a while, Matt got some sweet pics (he's a professional) and ate some beef-jerky (thanks Victor Chen). On the way down we started jogging a bit and ended up in a full-on jumping/sliding/laughing/thankfullynofallingortumbling/
recovering/bounding/cannonballing down the hill in 1/4 of the time it took us to go up. That same feeling of reckless abandon, physical exertion, a bit out of control, excitement. I'm not going to say that it was the best part of the trip, because that is reserved for the really good time spent with Becca, the boys and the Floreens. But that was the funnest 15 minutes of my days on the island; hurling myself down the hill.
It would be silly to think that this type of experience is exclusive to Christians, or that it is the best/purest way for me to connect with God. People seek these types of fun and exhilarating things all the time because it makes them feel alive. I'm grateful that God made us/me to be able to experience and appreciate and reflect upon these times (though I don't know how many more times I can do this type of stuff since I'm getting on in years). I just want to be able to balance it. God has given us His Word and prayer to reveal Himself to us through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. There are spiritual disciplines that believers have practiced through millennia that allow God time and space to form our hearts. Maybe I just need to include this enjoyment of the Creation, and how He made me to romp in it, to my regular list of spiritual disciplines.
So what does this have to do with a picture of me and my friend Matt on a ridiculous lookout rock at the top of Domwe Island a few weeks ago? After the hour hike up to the top of the island, we came out to this incredible view of Cape Maclear and the islands that sit off the shore. We enjoyed the view for a while, Matt got some sweet pics (he's a professional) and ate some beef-jerky (thanks Victor Chen). On the way down we started jogging a bit and ended up in a full-on jumping/sliding/laughing/thankfullynofallingortumbling/
recovering/bounding/cannonballing down the hill in 1/4 of the time it took us to go up. That same feeling of reckless abandon, physical exertion, a bit out of control, excitement. I'm not going to say that it was the best part of the trip, because that is reserved for the really good time spent with Becca, the boys and the Floreens. But that was the funnest 15 minutes of my days on the island; hurling myself down the hill.
It would be silly to think that this type of experience is exclusive to Christians, or that it is the best/purest way for me to connect with God. People seek these types of fun and exhilarating things all the time because it makes them feel alive. I'm grateful that God made us/me to be able to experience and appreciate and reflect upon these times (though I don't know how many more times I can do this type of stuff since I'm getting on in years). I just want to be able to balance it. God has given us His Word and prayer to reveal Himself to us through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. There are spiritual disciplines that believers have practiced through millennia that allow God time and space to form our hearts. Maybe I just need to include this enjoyment of the Creation, and how He made me to romp in it, to my regular list of spiritual disciplines.
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