Sometimes We Do Need To Be Rescued . . .It's OK.

When my wife and I were in Yosemite in September we happened to be driving near El Capitan on our way out of the park one afternoon. Seeing all sorts of cars parked along the side of the road and scores of people focused on the cliff, we stopped hoping to get a chance to watch some climbers climb or so we thought.

However, as we began to talk to people they explained that a rescue of an injured climber was in progress. And with some binoculars and my wife's telephoto lens we were able to hone in on the scene.

The rescue team was some fifteen hundred feet up starting to belay a guy down on a stretcher who had broken his arm. This was no small rescue either. To bring someone down they have to helicopter a three thousand foot, thirteen mm rope to the top and then belay from there. But I'll bet that climber was thankful for their efforts.

When we're in crisis or on a difficult life climb we too may need rescue. Ideally it is not because we were foolish or not careful. But there should be no shame in requiring the help of others. What might we need rescue for?

We may need rescue from our fears. Life's challenges, especially illnesses and injury, can cause our fear factor to go sky high. Therefore, we may need the help of someone who's been up this mountain before to help calm our fears. We might be wise to get some spiritual guidance and counseling. It's OK to be rescuing.

We may need rescue from unhelpful people. Many people mean well but do harm. They throw out easy answers, won't be quiet or leave us alone. They often want us to heal or get better the same way they did or they might not have a clue but want to tell us how to make it anyway.  We need someone who can help us figure out how to respond kindly, but firmly. Or they can run some interference for us.

We may need rescue from everyday challenges. We can face financial, social, work and family problems when we're climbing our mountain. Everything gets harder when life is hard. Don't be afraid to ask for help from others, your church, a local group, a support group or whoever. Sometimes we forget that others have more resources than we do just because they aren't going through our challenges. And someday you may be in their position to help them.

We may need rescue from wrong thinking. Struggle and hardship can cause us to do all sorts of dumb things we would never do otherwise. We will sometimes do anything to lessen the pain. Have someone in your life who can speak truth to you without wavering. Get connected to God again or more closely and let Him remind you what is really the truth. Jesus said, "The truth will make you free."

So if you need to be rescued, don't hide. Let the search party do their job. You need to go on. They can help. Just don't do it by yourself.

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.

Staying Around "Safe" People

It was recently discovered that a TSA airport employee had over time stolen $800,000 worth of stuff from people. Bad enough that someone would steal that much from unsuspecting people but it was done by someone who is supposed to help us be SAFE!

Who would have thought that someone in security would actually be dangerous?  The same can be true of people we allow in our lives especially when we're going through hard times and need extra protection. While we think they are secure they often can take from us more than they give.

Here are a few people to watch out for especially when you are hurting.

First of all, beware the person whose help is more about them than you. These people try to run your life, tell you what to do and rarely let up.  They might be hurting themselves or making up for lost time, but they will wear you out before they will really help you. They tend to push you to get better, to heal, to get over your grief or whatever way before you're ready.

Second, stay away from people who seem to have all the answers.  They can be in the first group as well, but not necessarily.  Either way, they think their experiences should be yours, that you really don't know what you're doing and if you will just listen to them you will make faster progress.

Third, avoid people who offer more platitudes than care. Some people mean well but they really want to fix you more than understand you.  They are uncomfortable with your struggle so they will often just say nice things that help little but will hopefully keep them from having to sit in their own discomfort.  These people are not necessarily unkind, in fact they ultimately usually mean well. But they can drain you too.

They will quote their doctor, friend, a magazine article and even the Bible hoping that you will simply move on and not struggle anymore.

So, as you climb your personal mountain, look for people who will be both honest and authentic.  We do need people who will say hard things to us when we need them. Stay around people who listen well and who don't have an agenda in being your friend or confidante.

Welcome people into your life who have walked some of the trail before you and can give you an honest perspective, not a wishful one.

The last person you want holding the rope for you is someone who is thinking more about themselves than you right then!

Distraction Can Be Deadly

I was coming home from church today and drove my usual route through our condo complex headed to our place. However, about three buildings down from where we live I saw a beautiful (at least it had been) BMW automobile smashed into some support blocks near another unit. The blocks were scattered all over the street and the front end of the car was demolished. The car would need to be towed.

As I turned around to go find out what had happened, I saw a young girl inside next to the blown airbag. She was crying and holding her hands in her head. I asked her if she was alright and she seemed to be physically fine, but her emotions were a mess.

I asked her what had happened and she simply said, "I'm so sorry, I was texting."

We've all heard and  hopefully heeded the many warnings and public service announcements about texting and driving. I'm sure this young lady wishes she had listened better. But this blog isn't about texting. It's about being distracted.

Distractions take lots of forms but they are all potentially harmful. We can get distracted from the things that really matter in life and which truly count by a lot of things: getting more stuff, complaining about life, selfishness, living in the past, accomplishments, status . . . make your own list. It can be pretty long.

And when the least important things take precedence and we get distracted by them because we've given them greater importance than they deserve people get hurt. Our families suffer, our spouses suffer and we suffer.  We miss out on special moments that we could have enjoyed. We don't progress and overcome the challenges of life. And we spend countless amounts of time and energy on things that really don't amount to much in the end.

What's distracting you these days?  Who's paying the price as a result?  You can change things, you know. Start focusing on what really matters. Put down your phone while driving, yes. But put aside those things that you need to keep your eye on in life, too. Remember, distractions can be deadly.

You Can Risk Without Climbing, But Can't Climb Without Risk

I remember my first 14er climbing up the Keyhole Route on Long's Peak. To really serious climbers this route is no big deal but it was for my 13 year old son and me. And I clearly remember meeting four men coming down as we neared what is called the "Ledges" section of the climb. I'd read about that dicey portion of the route and expected them to be a challenge but I didn't anticipate what I heard from these descending climbers.

I asked them if they'd made it to the summit. And one of the guys responded, "No way. I took a look at those ledges and decided that I have a family at home. It's too dangerous to go on."

All of a sudden I got this lump in my throat as I began to think about whether the risk for us was going to be worth it. As it turned out we went on, felt cautious, yet comfortable navigating the ledges and the Home Stretch and went on to the top.  However, there was a risk every step of the way. There always is.  The question is how much risk will we take on and how much risk will we allow to keep us from going forward.

Of course there's no easy answer. Being foolhardy can often end in death whether on a mountain or driving our car. There's something to be said about being shrewd and wise. But we will rarely go forward on our climbs if we're unwilling to accept some significant risk.

How do we determine what is too much and make a wise decision?  First of all, we must prepare as well as we can. Whether we're on a rock wall or stuck facing a personal mountain, preparing well, learning all we can and scouting out the route before us are vital to handling risky situations. The better we prepare the more risk we can likely endure.

Second, know your abilities and limitations. Some climbers are far more qualified to tackle routes that we cannot. That's ok. But our somehow believing we can do them may put us into risky places we shouldn't be. As Tim and I continued on the climb up Long's I knew that we had been in situations like that before and could handle it. If all of a sudden we had run into technical climbing beyond the class 3 we were facing, it would have been time to turn around.

Third, deal honestly with the personal issues that may push you to do more dangerous things than you can handle.  For some risk becomes an unhealthy and dangerous adrenaline rush that only dulls a lot of our pain but could eventually kill us. Some are still fighting off the demands of past hurts, disappointments or abuses and so we spend much of our lives trying to please others.

As a result we do things foolishly and push ourselves beyond healthy limits. We think we must live up to everyone else's expectations of us. That can be deadly or at least destructive.

So instead of using risk to fill a hole or need in us, remember that it can be a normal and healthy part of any climb. But do what you can to control how much you face and how you deal with it. It can be friend or foe.

The Place Of Risk When You're Climbing

We were at a zoo recently and became quite amused watching a young giraffe trying to eat next to its mother. The two animals were under a high feeding perch which the mother could nibble from quite easily.

The baby however was only tall enough to barely lick the bottom of the container. It couldn't really get anything nourishing but it kept trying!  If it were just a little bit taller.

I also remember being at the sport climbing gym watching all these terrific (and younger) climbers who could reach holds and climb routes that I couldn't. Now and then I would try to do what they did but it simply didn't happen.  I was a little like that baby animal, thinking and hoping that today I could be like them.

Now is there anything wrong with trying or practicing more or getting better?  Of course not. We ought to grow and to grow we'll need to take some risks and reach beyond our usual limits. But sometimes we need to accept where we are and what we can do for the moment.

This is especially applicable when we're climbing our own personal mountains. We watch others, see their progress or watch the steps they take or holds they can pull off and wonder why we can't do the same.  And if a nudge or some incentive is all we need then, sure, use that to improve.

But sometimes they're just taller, better or father along and we'll need to wait for awhile until we can go where they go. Like that baby giraffe we will grow and someday eat just like mama.  But for now we may need to find another place for success, a different form of progress than others enjoy.

And when we do, we will go forward, we will keep climbing and we will get farther up the mountain. Reach high, go for the top, but remember it's OK to stay within your limits.