A few weeks ago I spent six days in the Dominican Republic with my boys. I went at the request of a good friend of mine who is living as a missionary in the country. I spoke each night at a different church – each an hour or two away. So during the day, while my boys enjoyed the tropical weather, made new friends, and learned what it was to have rolling power outages, take cold showers, and hike down to the river, I thought, prayed, and contemplated.
What does it take to be willing to uproot your whole family and move them to another country because you sense a specific call of God on your life? It takes boldness, it takes courage, and it takes a willingness to live on the edge.
Part of the reason I have not written or podcasted in some time is because I’m living a bit at the edge. The edge of my abilities, the edge of my strength, and the edge of my own expectations for my life. But the edge is a familiar place. I’ve learned time and time again that when we are living at the edge because we are operating in obedience and following God’s lead, the edge – as nerve wracking and adrenaline producing as it may seem – may be exactly where we are supposed to be.
There is beauty at the edge.
At the edge of our dreams.
At the edge of personal pain.
At the edge of everything that we know to be true.
Right where what is solid seems to end. Right there. There is where there can be infinite beauty.
The closer that we get to the edge the more we get to see and appreciate the beauty of the unknown.
Right where I thought that what I knew for certain disappeared right from underneath my feet. Right there. That’s is where I have experienced the beauty of that which resides only in the unknown, the untraversed, the untamed, and the seemingly unruly.
But I had to be willing to sit there and look.
I’ve had to stop being afraid to go right to the edge, sit, and take it all in.
The edge has been scary at times but after a while it has become calming and familiar.
The edge initially gives more questions without answers but after awhile, for the one who is willing to wrestle if necessary, the answers come.
Every single time I’ve been at the edge, I have been able to walk away with the answer or answers I needed.
The edge has helped me to focus with laser precision on how I actually have no control but then it has also given me confidence to affect that which I totally have the ability to influence greatly.
When we are at the edge, the edge of our sanity, the edge of our ability, the edge of our energy…
When we are at the end of our own knowledge, our strength, or our spiritual confidence.
There.
Right there.
The edge can become the a launching pad for the next leg of our journey.
The edge.
That is the place where I have recognized my limitations.
But the edge, the end of my own abilities, is also the place where I have come to know best of the power of God that lives in me.
And I have learned that the power He has can overshadow and eclipse my limitations making anything possible, if I will let it.
The edge.
There is beauty at the edge.
When you get to the edge, the end of yourself, and realize that you are just one person in a sea of billions of people, in an vast ocean of planets, stars, and constellations, in a collections of universes and galaxies.
When you get to the edge and realize that your one life matters greatly to the One who made you and who put all you see into a living, breathing, rhythmic cycle of existence.
When you get to the edge and realize that your life matters and that the One who created your one life also wants to guide you in how to use your one life.
Right there.
At the edge.
That’s right where you will want to be.
Once you understand how life-giving the edge can be, you will no longer seek to avoid the that place.
You will embrace that place.
And you will know that living on the edge is just the place where real living begins.
My friend Vicki and her husband Rueben serve the Lord with the lives in and around the city of Santiago. They plant churches, train leaders, and run multiple children’s center that feed, educate, and nurture children when are not in school. If you would like to learn more about their ministry, please visit them at www.hope4drnow.org/
I’ve been waiting on a call from a very slow customer near Des Moines since yesterday, forcing the timeline of my schedule to its “edge,” when your post hit my phone just now. Great point about “the edge” you’re describing. (Gen. 3:10) At least now I can say with some confidence that most of my troubles stem from seeking to avoid this very place where understanding ceases and real faith begins. Thank you as always, and I’m very happy your sons got to see another part the world for themselves. Blessings upon your house.
Yup! I agree that we would do better to go to the hard place then running away from it 🙂
hey girl love the post! You are such an encouragement! Love ya! Glad y’all had a wonderful time!
This is such a great post. Living on the edge is so true….because I feel that’s how I live sometime. What I do know as a Christain and a Believer…Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding: Proverbs 3:5
God will not let you fall off the edge.
Thank you Chrystal for this post. Nice photos.
Amen!! You are truly an inspiration. When I think about my life I seem to have so many fears. I’m just coming to terms that if I trust in God the way that I should, I wouldn’t give in to those fears. To totally trust in God, is to always live life “On the edge”. Thanks for reminding me about how I really should be living. I’m glad that you and the children were able to see the beauty if the “ruff”. I’m sure the experience will have a lasting impact on their lives. Blessed day.
These words paint a description for my last few months. The edge of everything I know to be true….and yet it’s there he has drawn me in deeper to rely on him, strengthened my faith and increased my trust. ..it’s ironic to be stripped of all power and be left stronger, to be stripped of everything familiar and yet grow more trust, to be drug out into the deeper waters without security and yet be secure and never drown. What a mighty God we serve. Thanks for this post.
Thank you Chrystal for such a timely message! God knew exactly what I needed to hear. I have been feeling Him draw me to the edge for a LONG time now and I have done just about EVERYTHING I can to avoid it. This was just the encouragement I needed to go to the edge with HIM!
I hit post to soon!
Thank you for your demonstration of obedience to God!
“…you are just one person in a sea of billions of people, in an vast ocean of planets, stars, and constellations, in a collections of universes and galaxies.” I love this – it hits me and makes me think, “Why is everyone so selfish, and why do people only think that they matter the most?” It’s our one true Creator who formed us…can we please stop and realize how truly blessed we are to be able to experience all that He gives, enables, controls?
Awesome, you know that word encourage me so much, that edge has driven me scare sometimes. Thank you. By the way, isn’t my country beautiful, I’m from Santiago, dom. Rep.
Yes it is!
Yes, you are right only living at the edge is when we experience the Power of God. However, we also experience that our prayers come to life in the waiting process. It is also when we humble ourselves and embrace with Jesus love the reality we have in front of us, we have more faith and trust in God and any fear dissipates. Living in the edge is sacrificial, however, we have to remember it is all for the Glory of God.
Inspiring! What I take of your ministry is to be allowed to be used by our Lord God to empower others is to be re-member-ed (put back together), reshaped and molded into usefulness…becoming totally selfless and exhibiting a child like posture of surrender to our Lord Jesus. Even as I think about this kind of life on the edge, I am intrigued how much more trust it will build my Faith!
This is awesome!
Living on the edge is hard but it’s where Jesus waits for us. I love the beautiful way you’ve described the power of trusting the One we find there, waiting for us to step into the unknown with Him.
I love the beautiful way you empower people to experience God’s love and guidance through exploring our basic human realities and frailties that will allow God to show us His Power. Im thankful you and your famiiy had a wonderful time!
Thank you Lisa. I’m encouraged.
What an inspiring and thought-provoking post. Thanks for posting! And love the high quality images. Feels like I was there right with you 🙂
Living on the edge… as opposed to living on edge. I confess, when I find myself at the end of myself, I often start to live “on edge”. On the edge of my patience, on the edge of my temper. Because when I refuse to sit on the edge, to take it all in, see the beauty of the changes and the challenges and try to do it all in my own strength (or lack thereof) I teeter precariously on the brink of doubt, anger, fear and rebellion. But if I am to take wing and fly like an eagle, I need to be at an edge and trust in the God who makes all things new.
This season of my life has been one of deep grief and sorrow, along with anxiety and fear. My Charlie was stillborn last fall at 34 weeks. I have been navigating grief and sorrow and helping my children (ages 7 and 9) to process their grief and questions. Now I am pregnant again, on nearly the same time line as last year, and it is another boy. I have questions and fears. I wonder where God’s peace is. And I recall, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you.” And I remember that at the edge, the beautiful view is that of my Savior and my Lord. The questions and fears still come and my response is to focus on who God is and what He has promised. I do not do this perfectly, and I confess that sometimes I would rather not live on the edge but my prayer is that I will stop living “on edge” and trust in my Heavenly Father.
Thank you Chrystal for this post.
Glad you got to live on the edge. Beautiful pictures, seems like you all enjoyed yourselves. Love how you empowered people to experience God’s love for them. Jesus waits for us at the edge.