Our guest blogger today is one of my best friends going all the way back to college in Houston, Texas. Mark Denison is a former pastor and chaplain to the Houston Rockets. He has served on two university boards, been published in numerous professional publications, and is the author of “The Daily Walk.” He lives with Beth, his wife of 33 years, in Bradenton, Florida, where he works as a corporate consultant.
It was a strange new world. Sure, they had heard stories about riches and treasures, but when they stepped ashore, they didn’t know what to expect. After a rendezvous in Cuba, Hernan Cortez led his 400 men to the coast of present day Mexico. The men stepped onto Mexico’s shore in February of 1519. As had been the case in Cuba, a group of men moved to take charge of the now emptied 11 ships, planning to do the normal thing – to guard the ships while Cortez led the rest of the men in exploration of the interior.
This was the safe thing to do. By guarding the ships, they would preserve a way of escape should Cortez run into a band of head hunting natives. Who wouldn’t want a way out? Cortez didn’t. He shouted, “Burn the ships!” His message was clear: “No turning back. We’re all in. We are pushing forward, no matter what.”
That’s living the big life – no escape clause. Turning back is not an option. You can live the big life – but only after you burn the ships.
