October 14, 2012, Felix Baumgartner ascended more than 24 miles above Earth's surface to the edge of space in a stratospheric balloon. Millions across the globe watched as he opened the door of the capsule, stepped off the platform, and broke the speed of sound while free falling safely back to Earth. Felix set three world records that day—and inspired us all to reach beyond the limits of our own realities, and re imagine our potential to achieve the incredible.
There is a statement that the space jumper Felix Baumgartner makes as he stands in the doorway of the space capsule just before he steps out into history as the highest space jump that i want to point out in case you missed it on the video.
"I wish you could see what I can see. Sometimes, you have to get up really high, to understand how small you are."
That statement resonated in my spirit and I have never forgotten it, nor have i ever forgotten seeing the curvature of the earth as Felix fell. Everything seemed to be in slow motion and completely still and for that few minutes there was nothing else that mattered except the realization that the things that may have bothered me that morning suddenly seemed insanely small.
As we watch something like this, we are really inspired and amazed but inevitably the thought goes through our mind at some point in the viewing that says, "I would never do something like that!" or maybe the thought says, "That is CRAZY!!! That guy is CRAZY!!!"
This is the problem.
We would NEVER do something like that.
I had the same thoughts as you until one day I decided that I needed to try something similar and the day that I tried it, my world, my relationship dynamics, and my comfort zone were forever changed!!!
While Felix Baumgartner looked out on the world from 24 Miles up, something similar had actually been done centuries before and it had been done without the help of a stratospheric balloon.
The method that was used then is the method that I decided to try.
One of the people in the Bible that I feel that I most closely understand is David. He stumbled just as much as he succeeded but his heart truly did want that relationship with Father.
One of the things that David had that was absolutely amazing was an ability to fully operate in times of distress with the proper perspective between himself and God.
He was not afraid to take the time to honestly look at himself or his circumstances in the reflective lens of God's magnitude.
"When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour." ~Psalms 8:3-5
"The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men." ~Psalms 11:4
"But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased." ~Psalms 115:3
What is David really saying in these Psalms?
"I wish you could see what I can see. Sometimes, you have to get up really high, to understand how small you are."
Have you ever reached your limit?
I mean you have just hit a wall at full speed and you take a step back feeling completely overwhelmed and stunned that you are in the place that you are?
I was in that place this week and right there in the middle of that situation I decided to space jump.
I was out in my backyard and the night sky was FULL of stars and it was deep. I thought to myself, "Dan, if you were 60,000 feet up in the air, how important would this situation be?"
What would matter to you at 60,000 feet up?
Nothing. It would seem so small and the only thing that would really matter would be how much closer you would be to Father. You would truly catch a glimpse at how big He really is because you would see how small you really are.
At the end of the day what really matters anyway?
Being right in an argument?
Being the best?
Getting the best deal at another persons expense?
Getting the job done no matter what it does to people you leave in your wake?
How tough you are?
How business savvy you are?
How much money you made?
What kind of car you drive or the brands of clothes that you wear?
At the end of the day what matters most is what you did with the relationship that you have with Father. The realization and understanding that He truly is all that you need and that you operate your life out of Him and what He has made you through Him.
There are many ways to gain this perspective and you do not have to mentally space jump. For some it is forced when they hear the words, "I'm sorry but it is cancer." Some are able to see this when they receive layoff papers or an eviction notice and for some it comes when they receive a late night phone call.
It is that moment where suddenly nothing else matters but your relationship with Father and the realization that you are now closer to Him than you have ever felt the need to be before.
It is those times when we receive the understanding of the words;
"I wish you could see what I can see. Sometimes, you have to get up really high, to understand how small you are."
Times when we realize and are reminded about just how BIG our Father truly is and how small that the distractions we so busily occupy ourselves with truly are.
I want to challenge you today to take a moment in a quiet time to just refocus on how BIG Father is and thank Him for the relationship that He made possible to us through Jesus.
It is powerful and He is powerful!
"Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?" ~Isaiah 66:1
Take a space jump today, the view will change your life!
Climbing with you,
~Dan
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