I was recently handed a consent form with numerous things on it, but the ones that stand out include 1) I am insured up to $500,000 for injuries that might occur, 2) I am responsible for paying costs to fix the ATV if it is damaged in an accident, and 3) I am responsible for paying the additional fees if my ATV falls down the side of the mountain and I somehow survive. Who on earth would sign a form like that? You guessed it! I did!
My teammate Brenda and I took our saturday mourning and went up a nearby mountain on ATV's. Of course, we went with a guide. Yes, some parts were a *little* dangerous, and yes, there was a *bit* of a chance we could fall of the side of a mountain like this,
but hey, don't you think it was worth it? I do? Honestly, though the road was rough and the risks great, I knew that if we followed in the pathway set by our guide, we would be okay. So I went where he went and trusted that he knew the right path. And the reward was amazing. At the highest point, we were 1050 meters in the air, so high there was only fog surrounding us, and signs like this.
As I followed exactly the path set by the guide, I was reminded of the path set by THE guide, Jesus. In Matthew 7, Jesus says, "But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Would we have ever found our way round the mountain without our guide? NO. The ONLY way to find the road to life is to trust in Him and follow him whole-heartedly. My understanding? Go where Jesus went; Go to the sinners, to the beaten down, the broken. In Mark 8 Jesus says, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." Giving up everything and following Jesus is without a doubt the best decision I have ever made, and it isn't one that can be made partially. There is no 50% following Jesus. This is a choice that is all or nothing. But the reward is immeasurable and the experience unlike any other.
At one point, on a rough road, our guide got off his ATV and left for several minutes. Brenda and I were left on the side of a cliff looking at each other like, "Um, what is happening right now? Where is he?" But, he came back and we continued on our way! The path of righteousness can be hard, and tiring, and sometimes it may feel as if God has left you. In Matthew 28:20 Jesus says "Surely I am with ou always, to the very end of the age." Our guide could have left us. He could have let the two american girls wander off into the mountains, never to be seen again. But he didn't. While our guide did leave us, I know God would never leave. Even when it seems that He has, He is there with us, guiding us and bringing us ever closer to Him. And he gives us people to journey with us. Like my amazing teammate, Brenda.
Why do I do crazy things like sign insane consent forms or give my life to Jesus? Because the reward is immeasurable and the experiece unlike any other.
