Life in the fast lane

Life in the fast lane is a title to an Eagles song. But I don't mean it that way. I have been thinking lately on living life to the fullest extent that you can. The Bible says that if a person has Jesus Christ in his heart he has life. And that he has abundant life. I have been thinking on this over the last few days. I am 50 years old and so I am 50 years into eternity. A believer doesn't get eternal life when he dies. He has it now. So I have eternal life now. That truth seems to me to have all sorts of ramifications. I mean why do we often live in fear. Fear immobilizes you. It keeps you from enjoying life to its fullest. There is a country song that talks about what a man did when he found out he had only months to live. He sang that he rode a bull named 'fu manchu' and sky dived and the like. In other words, he lived! He determined that he was going to suck all the marrow out of life that he could while he had the chance. So why do we as believers often live in fear. Now don't get me wrong, I don't mean that we should go out and experience every kind of sin there is. I am talking about doing those things and experiencing those things in your life that are good and right without fear.
In September 2007 I was bucked off a colt I was starting. I had 4 rides on that horse 'Trigger'. And after several bucks, I think I stayed the full 8 seconds, came crashing down on my head between cactus and rocks. The trophy I won was a scar. I climbed back on later and rode the rest of the ride, But fear kept me from really enjoying the rest of my time out there. If I could only grasp this truth I am trying to get across then I would have really enjoyed to the fullest the next week I was there. Instead, I took it easy and tried not to put myself in dangerous positions again. I am not talking about being irresponsible, but think about it. If we understood that we have eternal life now and after death in this body life continues on even more livelier, wouldn't we be willing to do those things and experience those things that we would normally shy away from. If a soldier knew that he would just come back to life if he was killed in combat wouldn't that just embolden him more. I'm reminded of the "Pirates of the Carribean" movies where the pirates are already dead and yet alive and are able to do so much more taking chances they wouldn't normally have done.
There are soldiers who have lived like this: Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee to name two who believed they were just as safe in combat as they were asleep in bed at home. Just think of the freedom that gave them to live life to its fullest. Franklin D. Roosevelt said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." I know that because I did the puzzle in the latest issue of AARP magazine. Such is true if you ask me. So many times we are kept in by our fears only to miss out on life.
When we get to heaven there are certainly things that we wish we would have done, most likely there will be some things we wish we wouldn't have done. I know that is true of me. But there are things we won't be able to do in heaven that we can only do here, for example, tell others about Jesus Christ. We won't need to there because all will know Him. And certainly life there will be far greater than life here. We will be without all the limitations of life here, time and space, etc.
We spend so much time avoiding things we are afraid to do that we miss the things that we can and should do.
So I am going to ride horses this year, probably even start a few colts. I am going to try to be more conscious of eternal life now so that I can say yes to those things that God intends to bring into my life. Even tell others about the Lord.
If only Moses would have said 'yes' at the burning bush it would have been only him before Pharoah instead of him and Aaron. If Barak had only said 'yes' it would have been him alone who would have led Israel to victory instead of Deborah getting the lions share of the credit. True, in both cases God gets the glory, but God intended for those men to be used. Instead, because of fear, they didn't get to enjoy all God had intended. I don't want to miss out on that in my life. Do you?

On another note, do you know that horses and dogs, probably animals of all kinds, live life in the moment. My horses don't plan ahead, thinking, "I'll bet Jeff is going to come out here this afternoon and disrupt out day of eating, sleeping and . . . ." No! they simply take what comes in the moment. If that moment has me interrupting their daily snooze, well, so be it. That allows them also to not hold a grudge, or be reluctant to get out of the stall that day. If only we could live in the moment and drain all the dregs of life out of it. Wouldn't we be much better for it? No more whimpering and murmurring. Only whistling and singing. Even in this weather of cold and snow, I hear the birds singing, not complaining. I heard on the news a man who survived the plane crash into the Hudson river, say when asked how he felt, "Perfect," he said, "I'm alive!" Wow! What a condensed statement of how all of us should feel today, "Perfect, I'm alive!" That puts everything else into perspective doesn't it?
So let yourself get out in the cold today. Feel the crisp icy wind against your cheeks. Taste the snow, just make sure it isn't yellow. Don't try to lick the flag pole though. Inhale to the fullest the air and feel it rush into your lungs. Your alive. Or if you prefer, sit by the fire and enjoy a cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate and just enjoy the warmth of being alive.

God Bless! and Live!
Adios
Jeff