Do you want to play life or live it?
The question was directed toward my grandson Sam, who was at
that moment setting up the board game with the spinning wheel, little cars and
stick people.
Outside it was dark and cold, but it was snowing. A few inches of snow were already on the
ground, which is a blizzard by southern reckoning. But the snow was not to last. Forecasters said the snow would soon turn to
rain. Even though the sun set hours ago,
if we were to go sledding, now would be our only chance.
Live it, said
Sam. Always the right answer.
So Sam, his little brother Charlie and I hurriedly dressed
and escaped incandescent light and gas heat for night and nature. The sky was cloud-covered and black. Snow crunched under foot. There was barely enough accumulation to cover
the grass, but underneath was a promising layer of ice.
East Tennessee is not snow country, but when it does snow,
hills are abundant. You take a skim of
ice, lubricate it with a layer of snow, add gravity and you have the formula
for some epic sledding. Speed and
laughter come easily.
The sound of boys laughing in the dark is pure joy. From the top of the hill I could make out
their dark shapes rolling in the snow at the end of the run. In the cold air I could hear their joy
clearly. It filled the night. For a brief, precious time there was no room
for sadness, worry, fear.
At a time when little boys should be in bed, we were outside,
wet, cold, laughing, and alive.
The choice between playing life and living life is always in
front of us, isn’t it? It is a daily
decision.
I recall a night when all my family was together at a beach
house. Children were in bed. Adults were watching a movie. Everything was at it should be.
But outside life was calling. There was a moonlit sky and a cool wind. There was a wild, empty beach bordered by an
ink-black ocean. I chose a long, silent
walk that filled all my senses with the reality of vast, mysterious, teaming
creation.
I wish I could say that I always choose to live fully, but
that would be a lie. Like most people, I
find myself opting too much for the conventional, the easy, the
artificial. Like most people, I tell
myself compromises are necessary to fit in, to make the sale, to achieve
success. Yet the sense of success remains
elusive.
There are those rare people who always seem to be more
alive. We’ve all encountered a few of
them. A precious few.
They exude an adventurous spirit, even in the midst of the
mundane. They are more open to the
potential of life than the promise of winning the game. Where most people see risk, they see
reward. Where most find comfort, they
find boredom. Where most see security,
they see a cage.
Their criteria for every decision seem to be, will this make
me more alive or more the opposite?
I often find myself thinking about three things Jesus said
at different times and different places, but I like to put them together. He said, “I have come that you might have
life, and have it abundantly.” He also
said, “If the Son sets you free, you are free indeed.” Finally he said, “In the world you will have
trouble, but take courage, I have overcome the world.”
From these three phrases comes a grand philosophy for
living. When we choose to follow Christ
and his teachings, then we are more open to all the meaning and reality of
life. We are free to live it without
fear of failure or death. Though not
every day or every choice will turn out happily, keep on the path that Jesus
walked before us. Everything will be all
right.
I need these gifts from Christ: abundant life, ultimate
freedom, enduring courage. I need these
in mind every time I consider the question--do I want to play life, or live it?
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