A couple years ago, Linda and I were in Talkeetna, Alaska at the foot of Denali National Park, and the foot of that giant mountain (now Mt. McKinley again). Most people don’t know that Mt. McKinley is earth’s tallest mountain from base to peak on land.

We were there for mountain flight training.

I know that is not what you want. Everyone who has ever lived has had an internal desire to make a difference, to live in such a way that their lives will outlast their time on earth. And you’re no exception.

But a lot of people go through life without making any kind of impact. In your heart, you don’t want that. But here’s how it often happens...

How thick is your skin? Or are you thin-skinned? What would your co-workers and family or friends say?

When was the last time you were offended? How often does that happen? How careful do people have to be around you? Are they walking on eggshells, afraid you’ll either lash out or clam up?

What to do with this huge block of stone? It took months to cut it out and move it from the quarry to its current resting place. Now after two of the finest sculptors in the world attempted to make it look like something meaningful, they gave up. It was now thought to be flawed, useless, and an eyesore in the public square. It sat that way — unused, unfinished, unsightly — for nearly a hundred years.

I remember very little from church growing up. Our church was liturgical and I didn’t understand it. The sermons were boring and I’d almost always fall asleep. It’s one of the reasons I tell our young pastors, “It is a sin to preach a boring sermon!” And that’s why we strive to be engaging, Biblical, applicable, and inspiring.

But one thing in the liturgy I do remember…at the end of every service, the pastor would give the Aaronic benediction…

We had a lot to do to get ready for last weekend. Launching Hoist The Sail involved so much…books designed and printed. Videos prepped and recorded. Sermon series prepared and written. Even music written and arranged. All with a hard deadline.

I felt relief on Sunday afternoon. I remember sitting back and feeling, “Phew.”

And then, I remembered having that feeling before.