"I'd rather get wet...

... than have a numb gluteus maximus. Sinking is better than sitting."

On days like this (cloudy, chilly, nothing to do, nowhere to go) one of my favorite things to do is find a book that I read a long time ago that really challenged me in the season I was in, read through it again and remind myself of some forgotten wisdom and words. Today's pick: In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, by Mark Batterson. As my beginning quote implies, it is much better to risk and to fail than to not risk at all. Such is the topic of this book, based on the story of Benaiah in 2 Samuel 23. He decided to chase a lion, something most rational people would never do, and that decision shaped his destiny.

This book covers many things from seeing failure and adversity as opportunity to calling us out of normality and into our God-given passions and an exciting life. I love it! It's challenging. Here's some for you to read:

"The more you're willing to risk, the more God can use you. And if you're willing to risk everything, then there is nothing God can't do in and through you."

"Everything we change, changes everything."

"Most God-ordained dreams die because we aren't willing to do something that seems illogical."

"Sin is settling for anything less than God's best. Faith is renouncing lesser gods for something greater. And it always involves a calculated risk."

"...Their fear of missing out is greater than the fear of messing up."

"Have you read the Bible lately? Faith is risky business."

"I don't think anyone has ever sacrificed anything for God. Why? Because we always get back more than we give up."

"The only regrets we'll have at the end of our lives will be that we didn't seek God more or seek God sooner. That's it."

"Waiting for greater certainty may cause you to miss an opportunity."

"Following Jesus and keeping in step with the Spirit require the art of improvisation. We've got to develop the affinity for uncertainty and learn to enjoy the journey...

We naturally want everything to go according to plan, but the element of surprise infuses life with so much joy. Thank God for uncertainty and unpredictability. The alternative is monotony."

"The best way to discover what you love to do and what you're good at is to try lots of different things. You don't have to get it right, but you do have to sow your seed. You need to start somewhere."

"A dream becomes a reality one opportunity at a time."

"We are called to conform to Christ. And Christ was a nonconformist. So conforming to Christ results in nonconformity."

"Kids live in a world of limitless possibilities... But we allow the enemy to steal, kill, and destroy those childlike dreams. The key to recapturing those dreams is becoming like little children. Remember this: we serve an unlimited God with unlimited resources."

"To be like Jesus is to be consumed with passion. The word enthusiasm comes from two Greek words, en and Theos, which together mean 'in God.' The more we get into God, the more passionate we become."

I really appreciate this book because Mark tells me some things that I know but have ignored; things that would incessantly bother me if I actually let them sink in. I appreciate the reminder that our God and King is limitless, but hesitate at the part where my faith and action is required, especially when the conditions are unknown. I appreciate knowing that God uses the foolish things of this world for His glory, but I don't really want to be His fool. Continually I'm being challenged to see my life through kingdom-eyes and how to live from a kingdom-seized heart. This is not easy. At all.

But I completely agree with Him when he says that none of us sacrifice for God. We only think we do because in the comparison game of this world, we might look like we're losing and we are less, but that's only from one [wrong] perspective. We lose all to gain all. We give up to receive more abundantly. Nothing we relinquish could even begin to compare to His riches, to His love, to who He is. Nothing.

At work, I've downloaded a sticky note to my desktop that I will always see in case I get distracted and forget about the important things I should be focused on. If only I could have a million sticky notes in my brain that I could recall every morning and remind myself of such things-- that it's not important to have stuff, it's more important to give than receive; it's more important to stop for someone in need than to be on-time or complete a task; that the Kingdom of God belongs to the childlike, to those who are not bogged down by worries and cares-- people who have limitless dreams and who never cease to believe that now all things are possible; that every single person I meet is an image of Jesus and I should get to know them because I'll be getting to know more about Him by who they are.

I would live so drastically different if I could recall such things. Lord help me to know, not just for the sake of knowing, but for the sake of sharing what I know and living what I know, for the benefit of others. And for the greatness of You.