It
was a notable weekend. On Friday Randy
Pausch died. He was a little known young
(age 47) college professor who came to fame as his diagnosis of pancreatic
cancer became a launching pad for his book; ‘The Last Lecture’. Randy looked at making the most of each
moment his rapidly ending life saying, “We
don't beat the reaper by living longer, we beat the reaper by living well and
living fully.” I like that philosophy but I love the way
Jesus said it better; “The thief comes to rob, steal, kill and
destroy. I come that you may have life
and have it more abundantly.”
It’s no coincidence that John 10:10 was the text of my first sermon some
40 years ago. It remains the philosophy
of my life to this day.
Age
has slowed my velocity from racing through life like a sprinter to taking the
pace of a marathon runner who seeks to maintain the energy for a good
finish. A friend once asked me why I was
so driven. I take God seriously when He
says what we do matters now and for all eternity. I want to make the most of each moment. I don’t know which moment will be my last so
it’s vital to make each one count. I
have preached, taught and studied much over my life on the indescribable life
God has awaiting his children after this life is over. However, there are things I enjoy now that I
think I will miss. There is no mention
of ice cream, cookies or pasta in Heaven.
I am reminded of a ministers’ conference where the speaker was speaking
on the way fear chokes the joy of life for many. He asked us to make a list of the things we
fear. People around me were writing
furiously as they expanded their list of fears.
The person next to me noticed that I had stopped writing. My list had one sentence, “I’m afraid that I might miss something!” As I am fond of saying, “I want to enjoy every day of life on this earth as much as possible
because I am going to be dead a long time.”
Back
to that weekend, Randy Pausch died on Friday.
On Saturday I addressed the crowd of some 500 people who had gathered
because a young mother (age 45) had died suddenly in a tragic automobile
accident. Although the memorial was held
because she died we really were there because of the way she lived. There were tears indeed but the focus was on her
lasting smile, zest for life and the eternal reflection of Christ that embodied
her daily life. She was being remembered
for the way she lived a loving and joyful life.
The
next day, Sunday, I preached a sermon previously planned and prepared long
before I knew of the events that would occur on the previous two days, such is
the way of God leading pastors with their messages. The title of the message was ‘Enjoy the Ride’. It focused on trusting God with life and making
the most of life through all the turmoil in this imperfect world. As an illustration I shared that life’s best vessel
is more like a sail boat or a kayak following the flow and often unexpected
changes of life brought on by following what I call the “wind of the Spirit” (from John 3:8). Life can certainly give us some unexpected
turns and we never really know what may be around the bend. I learned to enjoy kayaking during my
seminary days as I was learning how to deal with and teach others to navigate
the changing currents of life.
It
is better to have a life vessel (philosophy or belief system) that allows one
to maneuver and adjust quickly rather than the institutional bulk of an
aircraft carrier that has the stuff to survive most storms but can’t turn and be
as flexible as life often requires. It’s
that flexibility that allows one to navigate and enjoy the rough waves and find
joy in the still waters and turbulent waves of life. The same river can contain smooth peaceful
water and dangerous rapids, both of which may come unexpectedly and in rapid
fashion. Such can be the journey of
life.
Anne
Lamontt writes about the paradox of life and truth in her latest book, ‘Almost
Everything.’ The book describes how, ‘Despair and uncertainty surround us in the
news, in our families, and in ourselves.
But even when life is at its bleakest, the seed of rejuvenation are at
hand.’ She says, “I am stockpiling
antibiotics for the apocalypse, even as I await the blossoming of paperwhites
on the windowsill in my kitchen. All
truth really is paradox, and this turns out to be a reason for hope. If you arrive at a place in life that is
miserable, it will change.” ‘That is the
time when we must pledge not to give up but, “in the Wendell Berry words, ‘be
joyful though you have considered all the facts.” ‘
I
concluded my sermon and that notable weekend with some of my favorite ‘theology’
and philosophy for life that I learned from the Snake River Kayak Rules:
1. Go with the flow
& don’t get addled-lean back.
2. If worse comes,
let go of everything you’ll come up.
3. Danger is part
of the trip. Enjoy the ride.
If
we trust our lives to God we can and should go with the flow (following the wind of the Holy Spirit). When the worst comes, we can trust Jesus as
our life preserver. Always remember that
this is a sin-scared world. Good and bad
things can happen, often in short succession or even at the same time. However, in the midst of the paradox of the
topsy-turvy life on this planet, there is no place safer than trusting God and
being smack in the middle of His will. Enjoy the ride!
