I’m speaking to a group of students this week, for Great America Teach-In, about traveling and diversity/commonalities among all people. While going through photos of places we’ve visited around the world, I couldn’t help but smile and appreciate all the experiences God has truly blessed me and my family with.
Photos depicted scenes of us living life to its fullest. For example:
- Bungy jumping in New Zealand, with arms open wide and taking in the magnificent beauty surrounding me (above and below).
- Walking on a swing bridge beside Victoria Falls in southern Africa on the Zambezi River at the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe. Speaking of the Zambezi River, we had an interesting hike up and down mountains to enjoy white-water rafting down the river, where Tim jumped in to enjoy the cool waters. (Watch out for the crocs!)
- Riding on a camel’s back, while being in awe of the over 4,500 years old The Great Pyramid of Giza.
- Paragliding off a mountain, and landing on the beach of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- Waking early in the morning to charter a boat to cage dive with great white sharks off Seal Island in Cape Town, South Africa. (Visibility was slim to nothing, so I opted to wait until another trip with impeccable visibility…maybe next summer. Our friends Dan and Paul did get in the cage. That was a priceless memory!)
- Swimming with whale sharks off the coast of Mexico. Graceful creatures!
- Freezing our tushes off skiing and tubing down snowy mountains.
Do you see what I mean about living?!! Living life to its FULLEST! Yet…all these incredible trips-of-a-lifetime didn’t teach me how to truly live.
Well, okay…I totally have learned to take advantage of opportunities in life and be brave, and traveling has definitely taught me to appreciate others and their cultures, and has been a very educational experience too. Yet, again…truly living life to its fullest comes from another source.
In Psalm 119:143-144 we learn what David knows…that when we delight in the Lord, and strive to know Him and His word more and more, that is when we LIVE.
Even though troubles came down on me hard, your commands always gave me delight. The way you tell me to live is always right; help me understand it so I can live to the fullest. (MSG)
Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands give me delight. Your statutes are always righteous; give me understanding that I may live. (NIV)
When I seek to know Christ more through pining the pages of the bible, my heart overflows with joy. This joy penetrates my marrow, and radiates through my words and actions.
The lessons learned, and stories told, in the bible take me further than any plane or boat could carry me.
Paul said it perfectly in Philippians 1:21, “For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.” Do you see that? Living means living for Christ!
I want to encourage you to truly live life to its fullest…abundantly with and through Christ! When we strive to become more knowledgeable, and to put a smile on God’s face each day, well…that my friend…will give you a purpose for living and abundant joy.
Life is short. Get busy living! Live for God.
Blessings to you and yours,
Stephanie
For further reading on Philippians 1:21, please visit: https://www.gotquestions.org/to-live-is-Christ.html