Living in the One Percent

I've had the opportunity to stand on nine or ten summits over 14,000 feet in my life. I've been blessed to travel to Russia fifteen times and another trip is on the horizon. I've hiked for days near the Matterhorn, one of the most beautiful mountains in the world. I got to take a zipline from next to the Great Wall of China across a lake flying hundreds of feet in the air.

And in each of these scenarios and others like them I wondered to myself:  What percentage of people in the world have done this or been here? And of course I don't know the amount but I'm pretty sure it's quite small, less than one percent.  I remember thinking, "I am so fortunate to be here because very few have experienced this."

But I also know this . . . those moments were some of the most alive times in my life. Most of them required sacrifice, hardship, pain and/or fear but they were worth it. They were opportunities that the majority of other people either couldn't or wouldn't take advantage of because in many cases they were too busy doing what everyone else does.

Is that you  and your family too?  Just accomplishing a lot of great things but doing what most other people do every day. Are you just a clone in a busy culture but with little uniqueness of your own?

And before you think I was just off doing special adventures let me explain what led to the above activities. The mountains were largely climbed with one or more of my kids or my wife. They were special family moments we would never forget.

The trips to Russia have been to teach, help, encourage and train others in ministry, to help them more effectively share their Christian faith with their people. The Matterhorn trip was a twenty-fifth wedding anniversary trip with Jackie and the Great Wall opportunity was part of a trip to see our daughter and son-in-law serving God in China.

REMEMBER: If you want your one percent choices to be extra special do something that involves things that truly matter - ministry, family and helping others.

It is so easy to just coast through life making money, getting stuff and trying to just be happy. But living in the one percent is more about finding joy, giving things away and discovering that the things that are worth the most actually cost the least in everyday terms. You don't need dollars, pesos, rubles or Euros to buy them.  But you do have to plan them, look for them, pray about them and be intentional about living life differently from the masses.

Look for a cause, a mission, a neighbor to help. Find an adventure that your family will never forget and yet which teaches eternal truths and makes a lifelong difference in someone. And when you do you will find that your life is alive in a way you've rarely experienced before and you will never go back.

Start now.

Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference In Climbing?

I wonder how many mountain and rock climbers think prayer is important? I have no idea. I've never done a survey or seen a study.

However, I have a hunch that many pray at least when they get in a tight spot, experience a sudden fall or face an unexpected thunderstorm.  Similar results may be true for those who face a mountain that life gives them.

Some may trust God implicitly and believe He really does care about their struggle. Others may not surprisingly wonder why God didn't intervene if He's so loving.

So let me offer a few thoughts about the place of prayer in our climbing. First of all, it would be wise and certainly can't hurt to look for God on our climbs. I mean, no matter where we're climbing, we have to admit that those walls, those rocks, those mountains and our circumstances are clearly bigger than we are. All that we see around us certainly wasn't put there by us!

Second, God also gave us brains to use to prepare well, make good decisions and not be foolish. I would guess that He tires of people all of a sudden praying to Him to get him out of messes they could have avoided if they had just been smart and better prepared. Yes, I believe He still does bail us out at times, but we'd have been smart to invite Him even earlier into our preparation.

Third, prayer is only logical if there is a God who is personal and still interested in His creation. This is where I think actual climbing in the mountains helps us remember that. The grandeur, majesty and size of the mountains speaks to a power much greater than mankind could ever produce.

So, as you climb, try talking to the One who created it all. If you've not done that before, at least give it a shot. I can tell you that from my experience He's willing to listen. He wants to know you and have you know Him. And He wants to be your fellow climber as well.