Take it to the limit
Last week I was returning from a gathering of Anglican churches in Fresno, and had the delight of passing through Yosemite on the way home. The granite monoliths stood like imposing giant soldiers guarding the vulnerable valley, brushed in autumn yellow. I was surprised when we passed the largest cliff of all, El Capitan, which juts out into the valley like the bow of a ship that has been run ashore. I always expect to see a handful of observers with their cameras and binoculars pointed toward El Cap. They are trying to get a glimpse of a few intrepid climbers hanging from the wall like tiny ants making their five-day journey to the top. But I was surprised to see close to a hundred people scattered around the valley with their eyes fixed on the great mountain. Was a rescue taking place? Was someone getting married while hanging from the wall? I went home and researched online to see what significant event we had stumbled upon. It turned out that a man was finishing the climb with his eight year-old son, the youngest ascent ever of the famous crag. Their record may prove controversial because they ascended a rope instead of the rock for part of the climb, but nevertheless it is an interesting feat, and one that represents the times in which we live.
We live in an age of extremes. We are captivated by those that take it to the limit. Look at our entertainment. The X Games is the professionalizing and amplification of all the childhood dares we grew up with. ‘Reality TV’ drops survivalists into the harshest environments on earth and tests how long they can endure without support. Shows depict complicated characters that walk the lines of murder and adultery, and our eyes stay fixed to see how far a character can go before they fall off the edge.
Even in our own personal lives limits are seen as a challenge to be crossed instead of a boundary to be respected. We spend more money that we make and we learn to live with debt’s shadow behind us. We use our technology to pack our schedules with piles of productivity, a few more phone calls, emails, online training, and virtual meetings. But despite our many experiences and long list of accomplishments, our lives wear thin. We don’t have time and space for good downtime with our loved ones. We get the gold trophy but we realize it cost part of our soul.
But there is another way to view the limits that exist in our lives. Instead of viewing them as hurdles to bound over with our athleticism, we can see them as guardrails on the steep cliffs of life, that God has given to guide us into greater humility and contentment.
Take for instance the limit on the amount of time we have on earth. Pushing this boundary has led some millionaires to have their bodies frozen in hopes that one day they will be brought back to life. But accepting this boundary can help us say our prayers and prepare our hearts for the day of our death. Dealing with it honestly can help us get our affairs in order, and to prioritize spending time with those we love, knowing that our time is short, and it seems to pass with accelerating speed as we grow older.
Or how about the limits of our gifts and productivity? We seek to grow through education and training, yet we can still acknowledge that not all of our professional goals and accomplishments that our perpetually youthful hearts desire are going to be fulfilled. The list of the things we wish we did will always be longer than the list of things we actually accomplished. And that is okay. When we come to grips with that, it leads us to the realization that we are only human. We can only accomplish a small piece of what the worlds needs, and even what our own souls need to feel completed. The understanding of our limits as small humans can invite our souls to come seeking refuge under the wings of a big God, who can accomplish all the world needs in His timing. He can use our little efforts to bring forth his promised redemption of all things, and when we come to him in trust, He can accept us just as we are, limits and all.
Together in the Journey, Father Cam Lemons
(Father Cam Lemons serves at St. Timothy’s Anglican Church. Service is at 9 a.m. on Sunday at 700 Hobson St. in Bishop. He also serves at Trinity Memorial Anglican Church in Lone Pine. The service there is at noon at 220 N. Lakeview Road. For more information, go to StTimothysBishop.com.)