I was recently on a college campus as a coach for my son’s robotic tournament.  While walking around outside, I saw some college boys doing something that was very interesting.  A couple of boys were setting up a pretty expensive video camera on a tripod and the third had a skateboard.  They were pointing the camera up a flight of stairs of about 10 concrete stairs which had a metal handrail about 3 feet high running down the middle.  After the boys got the camera set up, the third boy sped toward the stairs on his skateboard, slammed the back of the board down really hard, jumped his board up into the air onto the 3 feet high handrail, landed sideways on the rail, and slid down the rail while still standing on the skateboard.  Well, at least he slid most of the way down, I never saw him make it all the way.  Still, it was pretty amazing how he was able to jump his board up that high and land it on the rail sideways while still riding it.  I think that is called a boardslide but I am not sure.  With my knees, even thinking about that kind of stuff makes them hurt.

The ability of the boy on skateboard was pretty impressive (at least to me).  However, that was not what captured my attention.  The thing that struck me most was that he was not wearing any safety gear at all!  What he was doing was extremely dangerous.  I cringed every time he started to head for the railing, and not just because it hurt my knees just to watch.  One fall could have changed that young man’s life forever or even ended it.  Yet there he was, risking his entire future for a good film clip.  The risk versus reward was insanely out of balance.  When we are young we tend to think we are immune to serious injury or death.  Or we just try hard to ignore the possible consequences.  Maybe one reason watching these boys bothered me so much was that it forced me to remember the stupid things I have done in my life.

Once again, I think God is bringing things into my path for a purpose.  This time it is to help me contemplate life and death so I can better appreciate the life He has blessed me with.  It may also be to help me look forward to my eternal life with Him and not focus entirely on the life I have here on earth.

Another thing God put into my life recently is that I just learned a friend of mine has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.  He was the one to tell me.  He and his wife just found out a few days ago.  It is amazing how quickly life can go from wonderful to tragic.  What is amazing about this is not that he asked for my prayers, but for what he asked me to pray about.  He said, “I am not afraid of dying and my fervent wish remains for my faith to be kept as strong as where it stands (on the promises of God) right now and not falter under the strain of anything ‘new’ that may have to be negotiated ‘down here’ in the interim, as well as not listening to the ‘master liar’ whispering in my ear.”  He also wants me to pray for healing, but that really is secondary to him.  It reminded me of my father’s faith during his fight with stomach cancer.  Right up to the end he was walking around telling other patients about God.

I can only hope my faith is that strong in the face of something like cancer, an injury, or even the loss of one of my children.  Of course I can sit here with my family and myself in perfect health and believe my faith will be strong if something like that happens.  But you never really know until you are actually tested.  However, you can prepare for those storms by drawing closer and closer to God during the calm times.  If your relationship with God is strong, it will survive some rough waters.  What you cannot do very well is grope for a God you do not know with the waves crashing over your head.  It is possible, but much more difficult.

I really do not want this to be a depressing blog entry.  So, let me get to the point of all this.  We need to appreciate the normal times of life and be thankful for them.  Sure, I love the high points in life.  Like the week I just had off around Christmas to spend with my family or the trip to Disney we are planning.  The problem is that we tend to take the routine normal days for granted.  I am starting to be more and more thankful for normal days at work.  It certainly is no fun when you are scrambling around to put out fires at work all day long.  However, those times have made me appreciate the days at work when there are not any fires and the day is just plain normal.  For some of you reading this you may only be able to dream of days without any fires to put out.  For you, I would say appreciate the days when you only have a 1 alarm fire instead of a 5 alarm fire.

Maybe it is just because I have probably crested the top of the hill of life and am starting to head back down the other side that I am starting to appreciate the normal times more than I have in the past.  I really enjoy sitting around the dinner table as a family and talking about what happened during the day, playing games with my kids, or just watching television as a family.  Those simple times are giving me real joy.  Part of that appreciation is because I will not have these times with my kids for many more years before they are off on their own.  I am starting to appreciate what a blessing it is to give thanks in all circumstances.

I encourage you (and myself) to cherish normal.  Don’t just look forward (or back) to the big events or occasions in life to find joy, but experience joy in the normal times as well.

16 Be joyful always;
17 pray continually;
18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18