Sunday, April 3, 2011

Courage to Jet Ski across the Pacific Ocean

Recently I wrote about hiking in Utah and seeing the rock pile cairns which prompted my six year old son to repeat the refrain "pile of rocks...going the right way."  My family's journey to Fergus Falls, MN yesterday served as another HUGE rock pile for me.  I was pretty jazzed to head on a treasure hunt with my guys. Driving home I was reminded of something funny I saw this week and I hope you'll play along.

Go to google maps.  Get directions from Japan to China.   
Really, open it up and take a look.

Google Maps includes glorious detail in steps like this:
33. Turn left at 串木野駅(交差点) onto 県道38号線
34. Turn right 350 m


So assume for a minute that you're really trying to get from Japan to China and this site's  instructions were all you have... Would that help you at all?  And for us westerners that have trouble thinking in the metric system, it is even more challenging.  Looks like everything is a toll road or partial toll road... I wonder how  much money I should bring along.  And my absolute favorite is step #42 Jet ski across the Pacific Ocean.

WHAT?! 

And it got me thinking about the amazing people I've been meeting along my journey.  How many would  laugh out loud like I did when I saw these instructions?   I mean a full belly laugh? How many would then pause, think, and get on the jet ski anyway?  Is that the difference between those who change the world and those who simply get by?

What if God HAS shown us a cryptic googlemap of how to get where we want to go?  It would still take tremendous courage and a full serving of "blind faith" to get on a personal watercraft and head out across an ocean... 
Even if there a marina full of jet skis with the key in the ignition and the permission from the owner to take one
Even if the weather looks calm.
Even you have experience on a jet ski.
Even if you think you might have enough gas to make it.
Even if you have a life jacket
Even if someone just came back from there telling you that this in fact is THE way to get where you want to go. At some point you gotta just climb on board and go OR face the opportunity cost of staying where you are. 

Maybe being chased by angry dogs or the ground being on fire might motivate you to get on?
Maybe you're more comfortable if someone rides alongside you?
Maybe you know that your only option for basic survival is in front of you?

What would motivate you to get on the jet ski?
How big of a sign, how big of a rock pile, how audible of a voice from heaven do we need to follow the directions in front of us?

If we knew the only way to get to where we wanted to go was to ride a jet ski across a wide ocean...may we all have the courage and the faith to climb aboard!