Making the Most of Moments: Glacier Adventure Edition
Life is precious. Each moment we have is worth being thankful for because we never know what tomorrow may bring. It doesn’t matter how often you hear it, it’s true.
I recently had the opportunity to scale a glacier at the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park, Canada. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and worth every minute. During the adventure, we had fun and learned a lot about the history of the surrounding land with multiple glaciers you could see.
We boarded the Ice Explorer. It looked like something you’d see in a National Geographic magazine about Antarctica. There are only twenty-three vehicles like it in the world. Twenty-one are owned by the Columbia Icefield in Canada, while the remaining two are in Antarctica being utilized by scientists who are conducting research. They are made specifically for maneuvering on snow and ice.
We had an opportunity to slide around on the ice and take in the crevices you could see with snow/ice all around, and Ben even filled his water bottle up with fresh glacial water. Once back on the Explorer, our guide Barken from Germany, shared with us that scientists are currently estimating that the Athabasca Glacier will continue to melt over the next 50-80 years. It will never look the way it looked for me on my visit in August, ever again. To think that future generations will not get to explore this glacier because its existence will be no more, was mind-blowing.
You have a lot of time to think when you’re out in the wilderness. Just the sounds of nature and your fellow hiking buddies. I found myself thinking about being present in the moments of my life. When I’m with family and friends, do I give them my full attention? Do I love well? Do I try to soak up all the memories from experiences?
Just like the glacier we explored is only expected to be visible for less than a decade, I too, will have an expiration date. The same for you. Not in a morbid way, but more so in a way to be mindful about treasuring your moments.
Life is meant to be lived, no doubt. But we are called as Jesus’ followers to be good stewards of our time and our talents. Be aware of those around you. Look up from your device screen and notice the trees lining the road on your way to work. Sit outside and listen to the sounds. Listen, truly listen when others talk to you. Give them your attention, don’t keep looking over their shoulder waiting for someone else to walk in. Trust me - if you don’t pay attention to your moments and make the most of them, you are the one missing out.
I don’t know why this hit me the way that it did, but I literally couldn’t stop thinking about the constantly changing nature of glacier life. Though parts of the glacier that we got to stand on were taller than the Eiffel Tower, some other cracks and crevices led to deep water. We stood next to an opening in the ice that the water was measured to be more than twenty feet deep. In the short time, less than one hour, we were on the glacier, it was moving downward about four centimeters. It was constantly moving, ever-changing.
The same is true for our lives. We will never get these precious moments back. What we choose to do with them is up to us. I don’t want to look back with regret. I want to look back with a grateful heart. Knowing my faith may have been tested during seasons, but it grew. I want to be proud.
I don’t know about you, but I want to have so many memories and mental pictures that my mind feels like it’s going to explode. I want to take it all in. And I want the same for you. There are experiences out there to take in, and those closest to you are waiting to experience those moments with you. Go enjoy.
Ephesians 5:15-21, The Message
Don’t waste your time on useless work, mere busy work, the barren pursuits of darkness. Expose these things for the sham they are. It’s a scandal when people waste their lives on things they must do in the darkness where no one will see. Rip the cover off those frauds and see how attractive they look in the light of Christ.
Wake up from your sleep, climb out of your coffins; Christ will show you the light!
So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times!
Don’t live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants.
Don’t drink too much wine. That cheapens your life. Drink the Spirit of God, huge drafts of him. Sing hymns instead of drinking songs! Sing songs from your heart to Christ. Sing praises over everything, any excuse for a song to God the Father in the name of our Master, Jesus Christ.
Out of respect for Christ, be courteously reverent to one another.
