Punching Holes in the Clouds

Ever since I was old enough to know what skydiving was I wanted to do it. I would say every summer that this would be the summer I would do it, but always put it off, be it money or lack of nerves. But finally last Sunday...

I did it!

There is no feeling in the world quite like it, it's totally unique and completely exhilarating. My brother Dave and I went to Mt. Pleasant to do it. We received only about 10 minutes of instruction before suiting up in super uncomfortable jump suits. They were tight in all the wrong places.

Before we knew it we were headed for the plane, this tiny, cramped thing that looked like it could barely make it off the ground anyway let alone with us all in it. Dave and I, along with our two instructors, squeezed onto the floor of this plane and off we went. I admit, I was N.E.R.V.O.U.S. There is no way you can mentally prepare for something like jumping out of a perfectly good airplane, therefore my nerves were pumping. After an agonizingly long 17 minute flight we reached 11,000 feet and WHOOSH! there goes the door.

The wind whipped through the tiny plane as Dave and the instructor he was strapped to inched to the door. One second they were sitting there, the next they were gone. This did nothing for my nerves. We inched our way to the door, and put my feet on a step over the wheel and suddenly my mind registered that I was going out of the plane, to plummet thousands of feet to the ground. I had a moment of clarity while Scott goes 3,2,1! And out we go!

I couldn't even register what was happening we were falling so fast and the wind was so loud! I felt a rush of adrenaline unlike any before, and in that moment I had never felt so alive. It never one registered in my mind the thought of, "Uh oh!What if my parachute doesn't open!?" All I felt was pure excitement like never before. After 30 seconds of shooting to the ground our parachute opens and I got to experience the biggest wedgie known to man. For the next 5000 feet we coasted to the ground while trying out some twists and turns which made me feel quite ill so we stopped that.

All I have to say now, is you MUST experience this for yourself! You MUST!! There is nothing like this and I can describe it all day long but you won't truly know till you've felt the wind in you face and seen the ground rushing towards you at 100s of miles an hour. It is insane to say the least.

Now go forth, and punch some holes in clouds yourself...

Why We Are Here

"As long as I see anything to be done for God, life is worth having; but O how vain and unworthy it is to live for any lower end."
-David Brainerd

I read this quote earlier this week and have been dwelling on this for a few days now and really felt compelled to write in this long forgotten blog of mine. I really do miss this ol' thing, it's nice to write my thoughts out, despite if anyone reads these ramblings or not.
This is something that has been on my mind a lot lately. The idea that everything is meaningless unless done for God or for the love of others. If you really start to think about it it's so mind blowing to realize that nothing we do here on this earth will last after we die. All the money we acquire, the cars we own, the big house we buy, the movies we watch, all these things are meaningless.

I've realized that the only things that will truly matter are what we do to further God's kingdom. Sharing the gospel with the unreached, helping those in need, loving people, and living with a outward focus. I've learned something very valuable in these months since leaving Americorps, that the only time I'm truly, genuinely happy is when I'm helping others and serving God. As soon as my focus turns inward everything starts to fall apart.

This life is not about me at all, it's about what I can do to serve God. And this is exactly what Mr. Brainard was saying, and it resonated so greatly in me. Coupled with the fact that I'm reading Ecclesiastes which is all about discovering the meaningless pursuit of material things, and how great a life can be merely when you turn your focus upwards. It's so crazy to think about how material and selfish I am and how much I really need to change. There is so much pain and hurt all over the world and I'm worried about what shirt to wear that makes me look better. That is so embarrasing.

This quote by Nate Saint sums this up nicely and also sucker punches you:
"I would rather die now than to live a life of oblivious ease in so sick a world."

wow...