I could try, but I would never be able to describe to you my skydiving experience. The physical experience itself is unbelievable and indescribable. In addition to that is the act of defying fear and living life without regret. There are so many reasons I should not have jumped from that plane today. Among them: 1) it's crazy to jump willingly into freefall from 10,000 feet; 2) i had a lot of work i needed to get done today; 3) i definitely don't have $169 lying around to spend on doing crazy things. But, there is one better reason I should have jumped: I wanted to. And because I wanted to, I needed to.
My dad's response to my jump: "Crazy fun! Way to go. But is this the little girl who used to squeeze my hand off on airplanes?"
Yep. I'm that little girl. I distinctly remember, though, in 2001, that somehow God gave 16-year-old me the wisdom to decide not to let fear come between life and me. I had the option of not going, but I chose to squeeze my daddy's hand and cry during take-off, turbulence, and landing all the way to Israel that year. I chose to live in spite of fear and without regret. I remember making that choice consciously. And, I remember the incredible experience of walking where Jesus walked.
Since then, I have experienced three weeks in Europe, three trips to Liberia, and several trips across America to visit family. Experiences made possible by a conquered fear of flying.
Today, it happened again. I experienced. I jumped from a plane I never would have been in if it weren't for that 16-year-old wisdom. I jumped because I have wanted to know what it would be like and because I knew I would regret not jumping. I jumped in spite of fear, and in spite of fear, I experienced life in a new, exciting, and amazing way.
I can only hope to carry this wisdom into my next 30 years and to continue truly to live.
Take my word for it. It's worth it to live. It's worth it to know fear and to experience life anyway.
Actually, don't take my word for it. Try it.
FDR's quote is cliche only because it is so true: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."
Fear stands between life and us. Our options are to turn and run from fear, thus running from life, or to face it and run toward fear and toward life. I choose life!
-mo
FDR's quote is cliche only because it is so true: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."
Fear stands between life and us. Our options are to turn and run from fear, thus running from life, or to face it and run toward fear and toward life. I choose life!
-mo
