This is the ESPN cover story on Zac Sunderland, the 17 year old who sailed solo around the world. It’s incredible. My jaw was on the floor as I read about pirates and tempests and loneliness.
In Zac’s coming home speech this week he talked about all of the things he could have been doing as a junior in high school, things that seem kinda small to him in light of this accomplishment. I nodded when he said that teenagers are capable of so much more than they attempt. His motto, “Do hard things,” is inspiring, especially in a culture where people seem to be looking for what’s easiest.
Made me think about following God and how Christ’s motto was pretty similar. When He asked us to take up our crosses, He wasn’t suggesting something easy. Walking on the narrow road often seems more like sailing solo around the world than chilling on a cruise ship. It’s hard, challenging, rewarding work.
"They say sailing is 80 percent hard work and 20 percent bliss, but somehow the 20 percent outweighs the 80 percent," Zac says. "It doesn’t make any sense, but they’re totally right."
I feel similarly about my walk with God. A lot of the time it’s exhausting or emotional or painful, but then other times… bliss.