Surfing and the Benedictines

From Josh Graves:

I’m told that some Benedictine monks sleep in their coffin every night. This helps them bodily remember that they are dying, that they were “dust and to dust they shall return” . . . I guess a sticky note on the bathroom medicine cabinet isn’t sufficient. They need the actual coffin in their room. Every night. Dying so that they might live another day.

If I’d had a coffin with me the night following my surfing adventure, I think I would have glimpsed what these Benedictine monks are learning: You only get one life to be a Jesus-follower, husband/wife, parent, friend, artist, story-teller, athlete–why hold anything back? Why let fear of death, or death itself anchor you to a lie that isn’t real?

Why not pursue God in everything you do, in all you are, in every place you find yourself . . . and see what happens? What else is there, really?