Para sailing Faith

Sometimes I think we must be the most worried culture that has ever lived. Life expectancy has doubled in the past century. We are able to cure more diseases than ever before. No group of human beings has ever been healthier, yet no group has ever been more worried that about their health.

Recently I received my first AARP Magazine (yes I'm that old). It's stocked full of articles about maintaining health and coping with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, avoiding strokes, and exercising daily. I even look at my own daily routine: I take a aspirin to avoid stroke, blood pressure medicine to lower my blood pressure; cholesterol pills to lower my cholesterol count; and then work out for 30 minutes for aerobic heart exercise. All of this is supposed to stall the inevitable?

I wonder how in the world the disciple John lived to be such an old age (90-100 years old) in the Bible without a Rite Aid, yearly physical, and a stair stepper?

The truth is that we have all learned fear from our parents. The things my mom warned me about as a kid, I warned my kids and my son (who is about to become a father) will warn his new girl. You know the drill "Be careful. You could get hurt. Don't play with that stick - you could poke out someones eye."

In all your life have you ever known anybody who lost an eye playing with sticks? We're raised to be scared.

When we grow up to be adults our hopes, dreams, and callings are impaired by distorted fears and worry. Fears are magnified by the realities of life and death.

Fear speaks..but so does faith.

I remember the only time in my life I went para sailing on a lake. My fear was founded in several obstacles: a fear of heights; a fear of water (I couldn't swim); and a fear of being zapped (it was raining out). When I made the decision to go ahead I remember saying, "I'm going to do it because the ride only lasts a few minutes. But once it's over. I'll have it forever."

I think if God had anything to say about our fear it might go like this:

"As for mortals, their days are like grass; they flourish like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone and its place knows it know more. In the vast scheme of things, your life is briefer than you could possibly imagine.

But whatever you do in faith, every time you trust me whenever you go 'para sailing'..

Then you will have forever.

Go ahead, step out by faith and fly!"