“There are two things that pierce the human heart, beauty and affliction.“
-Simone Weil
Five years ago bungee jumping would have been a huge deal for me. I would have thought about doing it for a couple of weeks, asked a few friends to join me, and wouldn’t have been able to sleep the night before. And I don’t mean this in an arrogant way at all. Jumping out of planes and climbing 1000 foot sheer walls puts bungee jumping to shame. But, nonetheless, over the years I’ve become addicted to adrenaline. So how could I ever turn down the opportunity to jump over the raging Cheakamus River in British Columbia while honeymooning?
At 11:30 this morning, Joe and I hopped in our jet blue rental car and drove the 30 minutes through a dense forest to the foreboding gorge. I looked up and saw the bridge above me. For the first time during the whole experience my heart did a little skip, mostly out of anticipation and excitement. The Whistler Bungee employees quickly secured my chest and leg harnesses, duct taped my GoPro to my hand, and instructed me about the ride up. Before I knew it, Joe was snapping pictures, and I heard the Australian say, “You’re bungee jumping in five, four, three…” Right then a sudden shot of epinephrine poured into my cerebral cortex. I didn’t think I’d get this nervous! But as fast as the nerves hit me I was plunging through the crisp mountain air, only to be slung back up toward the bridge as fast as I fell. There, dangling from the line, I thought to myself, “This is amazing! No one gets a view of the rushing river like this.”
The famous pastor Kyle Lake would always end with this benediction, “Love God, embrace beauty, live life the fullest.” Our wild love story embodies this vision. We want to drink from the full cup of adventure whenever can. We are not just hooked on the endorphins, but rather know that someday there will be dry seasons of affliction and want our hearts to be well saturated in beauty to get us through.
Thanks for reading,
Ann
