During one of our ministry days with the children we had some downtime. During this time some of them decided to go off and play on their own. This almost always involved them climbing up tractors and jumping off onto these huge mounds of dirt. As anyone who is in charge of someone else’s children would do, we tried to stop them, but our efforts were in vain. They would just climb right up and jump right off every time. Apparently it’s something they’ve been doing for quite a while so for us to come in and try to rain on their parade was just silly. Sitting back and watching these kids jump and enjoy their youth given invincibility was at times nerve-wracking but also eye opening.

What is it that has happened to us between then and now that causes us to lose our sense of adventure? Spiritually and physically speaking Jesus lived a life of adventure. A life surrendered to the Father; a life that showed that he didn’t care what others thought. He turned people’s perspectives upside down with his words and baffled them with his actions. He lived and breathed a life of surrender and adventure. We see in The Books of Acts and throughout the rest of the New Testament that his followers did the same. They lived lives of adventure; they took the plunge, jumped in and surrendered themselves to the will of the Father. On the outside looking in at those living this life looks dangerous and crazy so it’s understandable when people try to hinder us. They don’t understand; but we keep jumping. Kind of like those kids. Let’s regain our sense of adventure, let’s follow Christ whole heartedly, let’s learn from these kids, and jump.

-YWAM ORLANDO 2012

(photography by YWAM ORLANDO 2012)