Chasing After Me

First watch the video (at least the first 30 seconds). Then, let me guess what is going through your head…

• That was awesome.
• What were they thinking?!
• I’d love to do that, but never would.
• Why would anyone do that???
• They are definitely crazy!

Did I get any of them right? If I did, it’s only because it’s what would have gone through my mind until I really thought about this post.

While I don’t plan to literally jump off any cliffs in a wingsuit any time soon, figuratively, I’m not that different from them. Some days I look back at the last six months of my life and am convinced I am certifiably crazy. Others might even call me foolish.

But, I’ve decided craziness is all in the eye of the beholder.

For me, life was going just fine six months ago. Great job. Happy family. Awesome friends. Predictable routine. All-in-all comfortable.

The problem with a life that is “just fine” and “comfortable” is that it lacks zeal. It lacks fire. It lacks vision. It lacks trust in something or someone greater than you. It lacks…well…life, actually.

Several months ago a spark ignited a full-on blaze inside of me…and I have no desire to put it out.

When an opportunity came along for me to resign from my job, I couldn’t stop thinking about what life would serve if I stepped off the cliff. Pursuing a call. Pursuing a purpose. Pursuing craziness. All with a burning never felt before. All with an inexplicable trust in God.

Bye, bye to the comfort of working for a hugely successful, admirable and growing global company in the midst of a global recession. Hello wing suit of faith.

I had relatively logical reasons for leaving…my health, diversifying our family income, filling unmet needs in the marketplace while working for myself…but, mostly, it was this really crazy desire to plant a church called Bloom with amazing friends.

I probably could have stayed at my cushy job to do it, but gave me license to really LIVE Bloom.

It’s easy to list a bunch of superlatives here about how being part of Bloom is changing me. But the more profound way for me to think of the new pursuit is contemplating what wouldn’t have been…

1. FINDING ME: I wouldn’t be chasing after the real me…pursuing God’s plan for me instead of my own plan. Comfort in my own plans was confining my own definition of me to my profession, title and responsibilities. Trust me, the newfound me is much more interesting…much more excited about the future…has many more layers…and is slowly getting more comfortable with my uniqueness.

2. DIVINE TRUST: I wouldn’t have the profound trust I grown to have in God. Given I have no idea what I’m doing, I have to know wisdom is coming from somewhere. Thank God it’s not coming from me.

3. LIVING: I wouldn’t be really alive and fanning the flames of the unquenchable fire that exists when living for a vision. I’d miss this overwhelming compulsion to love others, their individuality, their experiences and all of their cares in a way impossible to describe. I’d be void of a desire never again hold back. That’s quality. That’s life.

Someday maybe I’ll add a wingsuit to the mix. Yeah…no…who am I kidding?! But that’s OK. The point is, I don’t care if people think I’m crazy. Because I see it as a newfound courage. Those guys diving into the open air from cliffs thousands of feet above the ground found something deep inside of themselves. I’m sure of it.

Think before you judge it next time. Crazy? Maybe. Courageous? Definitely.

Find your wing suit and jump.

When craziness unlocks something in your soul, call it courage.