Loving Without Reserve

We were discussing Dan Lewk's memorial over a cup of tea when Paul said, "If I knew I was going to die, I'd live differently." "You are going to die." I said, "So what do you want to do?"

"Skydiving and bungee jumping," he responded, his eyes taking on a faraway look. I had an image of him soaring through the air, arms spread-eagle, heart exposed. It was a breathtaking vision.

Then he added in a serious tone, "But I don't want to bungee jump ... or skydive."

"So what might that be a metaphor of in your life?" I asked, intrigued by where this might lead. After some consideration he responded with teary eyes, "Loving without reserve."

The metaphor made perfect sense. Loving without reserve - free falling, not knowing where we will land, or if we will be safe. Fear holds us back from many things, including loving fully.

What might happen if you really loved without reserve? You'd be vulnerable - perhaps, unsure of where it was taking you - probably, and at risk of getting hurt - possibly.

But the reward of facing your fear and jumping out of a plane is that you get to soar. You see the world from a different point of view. You feel the rush of being fully alive. It doesn't last very long, but the experience stays with you a lifetime.

It's the same thing with facing your fear and loving without reserve. You may not be able to do it all the time, but if you do it even a little, the experience will stay with you forever.

What are you waiting for?