Original: February 4, 2008
McMinnville, OR
2CO 1:8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. 9 Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. 2 Corinthians 1:8-10A
1CO 10: 13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. 1 Corinthians 10:13
In my life I have been fortunate to have several experiences that pushed me far beyond my physical, reasonable, limits, to the point of personal harm. Being involved in organized sports since eight years old has forged a work ethic that knows how to function within these reasonable limits. It is the reasonable limits that categorize us with the majority, the average, and the norm. Most people operate within the boundaries of these reasonable limits where they can maintain a sense of control, sanity and personal dignity.
But who wants to be like most people?
During those defining moments when reasonable limits were forgotten, neglected, or ignored I experienced extreme and frightening memories that shaped me. Three memories come to mind that have taken me to a whole new level.
One of these moments happened towards the end of my freshman year of high school and was my first weightlifting experience, which I assure will never be forgotten. I can still feel the tension in my racing heart as my coach, my dad, coerced me to meet the new weight lifting coach. This 6’ tall 465 pound, black, weightlifting coach named Mel Calmes was the most intimidating figure this high school freshman had ever seen! He must have known I was coming because I will never forget my freshman ears ringing as he screamed from within the weight room “Where’s that mullet, Ramos! I want a piece of him, NOW!” To this day I do not know what “mullet” meant to him since I never had the infamous 80’s haircut (thank God). I heard it was a fish of some sort. Someday I will go into detail, but let’s say I could not stand upright for a week, confined to walking the halls like an ape man! Overcoming that workout and the many workouts that followed propelled me to achieve the accolades and physical strength I possess to this day.
Another moment where I went “far beyond (my) ability to endure” was my freshman year of college. Driving the three hours up Highway 101 to Santa Clara University’s fall football camp as a 230 pound freshman was nerve racking. But it was nowhere near as demanding as hearing the frightening rumors being spread about this so-called “Dam Run”. The Dam Run was a highly publicized tradition among Santa Clara football players and was the 2 mile run to the top of the Lexington Reservoir dam in Los Gatos, California. As the largest running back on the team I had to make it to the top in less than 14 minutes, and run two more dam faces in under 60 seconds. I ended that day with a total of 3 seconds to spare (a gift from my coaches I guarantee it). Totally dehydrated from the 90 degree weather I suffered blurred vision for at least an hour, a result of going beyond my reasonable limits of exhaustion.
In 2002 my cousin Darby, Don O’Henley (a distant in-law), and I packed into “The Hell Hole” where Donny took a nice Blacktail buck. It was a solid 2 hour walk downhill into the “Hole” to spend the night so one can only imagine climbing out with 60 pound packs in 100-degree weather. After siphoning water out of a muddied rock basin we methodically made our way out as the blazing sun beat us to total dehydration and complete exhaustion. I honestly did not think I would make it out that day.
But I did-barely.
Paul went “far beyond our ability to endure, so that (he) despaired (despised in NASB) even of life.”
But He did. He endured. He finished.
Paul discovered the secret of going beyond his reasonable limits so that he might position his faith in order that he “might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead”(9).
God meets us in the eleventh hour. God meets us when we are barely hanging on. God finds us beyond our margins when we have gone beyond our reasonable limits.
He must smile when we jump out of the boat and begin to walk on water, but the raging storm causes us to lose focus and start sinking.
We cry out.
The hand of Jesus reaches to our drowning cries and we can rest assured that, “he will deliver us” (9). He will never test us beyond our limits and will always provide a way for us (1 Corinthians 10: 13) but he invites us to join him past the point of no return.
Get unreasonable. Go beyond your reasonable limits. God beyond most people. Go beyond the majority.
Paul did. Jesus did. Men, you can do it.
