What Would It Look Like If We Really Did It?

Anyone over 40 will likely remember the movie DEFENDING YOUR LIFE. 

Albert Brooks and Meryl Streep and the rest of the newly dead are shown movie clips of their life on the big screen.  In the movie, Brooks needs to defend his life-decisions that were rather dumb or cowardice. Streep gets to see puffy moments of bravery.

First, I’m really really really really overjoyed that in this life my sins are covered up and I won’t need to look at them again.

But let’s pretend…

Yesterday we discussed the 14^th Chapter in Mathew’s Gospel.  Among other things, it’s the place where we hear the account of Peter stepping out of the boat in a storm after Jesus has invited him to “COME!”  For a brief and fabulous moment, Peter is filled with overwhelming faith, steps out onto the dark, rough water and actually walks. He didn’t over think it, he leaped in utter zeal!

Alas, Peter’s eyes distracted his faith in the Lord, and he started to sink.  Good News: Jesus is right there to make sure he’s safe and sound.

Imagine.

In our discussion, we played a little “fill in the blanks” with our imaginations:
After Jesus lifts Peter [with one hand, I imagine], what was the walk back to the boat like?
What did the other fisherman-disciples say to Peter after the ordeal?
Did they think he was crazy?  Was Peter frustrated with himself?
Did he want another chance?

What if, like the Brooks movie, when we finally get to be in the presence of our creator God, He lovingly shows us all the times in our life that we could have accepted the invitation that He placed on our heart? The invitation to let go and leap.

Imagine God, with one strong loving arm around our shoulder, revealing scene after scene of what might have happened if we had acted on trust.  Leaped into a brave adventure of the vocation we knew was in our hearts.

But we were too busy, didn’t think we were capable, decided someone else could do it better
… spent too much time on Facebook… had to answer thousands of emails … and there’s all that poop to scoop because there’s NO SNOW to cover it up!

My buddy Sue said yesterday that she imagined the other disciples saying they wished they’d tried to walk toward Jesus, too.  Out on the stormy water,
Daring them now.
But the moment had passed.

I am more afraid of missing the promise that He’s placed on my heart, than I am afraid for my own safety.  As a parent, I’ve stood in the water, arms raised, begging my toddler(s) to trust that I would catch them; because I so much wanted them to experience the thrill of jumping!

Sometimes Vertical Living means blinding ourselves to the obstacles that frighten us and deceive us in our physical sight and trusting what our creator has placed on our hearts to do.

As my Dad-Ray says: what a tragedy if we DON’T pursue our callings. We just might miss a thrill, but will most certainly miss the impact we are meant to have on untold lives around us. What a waste!

Start Vertical.

Then Dive In!