Adventure

On Mother’s Day, I really wanted to take a cute picture of (a) with my mom and myself, however he was pretty hyper and not in much of a mood to cooperate with all his Momma’s picture requests.  Thankfully my sister saved the day (as she usually does when it come to getting pictures of him) and made a deal with him that if he would smile nicely for the picture, they would go on an “adventure.”  He thought this was a good deal, so he posed for the picture and then started telling us over and over that he was going on a “venture!”  And adventure he did!! He ran and played and laughed through the Pioneer Village of Spring Mill State Park and THEN he convinced her to let him play in the creek until every part of him was soaking wet.  He had SO much fun, that now “go on a ‘venture!” is his new favorite phrase for everything we do.  Currently a trip to Wal-Mart even is a chance to “go on a ‘venture!” 

He was SO wet... and having SO much fun on his "'venture!"

Dictionary.com defines adventure as “an unusual and exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity.”  Right now, it feels like a lot of our life is an adventure.  Adventure is getting your house in pristine shape to put on the market in only one week’s time, then keeping it pristine (with a toddler living there!) through 8 showings in 6 days, accepting an offer on day 6, only to agree to immediate possession at closing which means you have to be out quickly, then realizing… uh we have no place to go with our stuff and our storage unit is full, but that storage facility does not have any more units available.  Adventure is learning how to navigate the hoops of fire you must jump through to get a reciprocal teaching license in another state while at the same time applying for new teaching jobs AND continuing to teach in your own classroom.  Adventure is the process of saying goodbye to all you have loved while opening your heart to all the new AND trying to remember all the names and faces that go with the new.  Adventure is realizing you need a PO box, because when you are between homes you have no permanent address to have your mail forwarded to.  Adventure is the huge blessing of a host family’s home and watching your toddler enjoy all the toys he is discovering there.  Adventure is leaving your husband in another state while you head back “home” to wrap up your life there… only to have a car wreck on the way home that now requires your time, energy, and attention to deal with.  Adventure is dealing with insurance.  Adventure is getting in the car to the low tire light on, only to discover you have a nail in your brand-new tire that is creating a slow leak.  Adventure is hoping the leak stays slow until you can get to the shop to get it fixed after school. 

Adventure requires waterproof mascara, grit, a good support system, a wonderful Christian counselor, running shoes, several texts and phone calls for help, and an extra portion of grace towards yourself when you realize you just can’t adventure alone.  Because, really? What fun would an adventure be if you didn’t share it with the people you love most?  And would an adventure even be worth trying if you couldn’t rely on the strength of a God who is so much stronger than yourself. 

When the adventure was really feeling extra difficult these last several days, a voice on the radio reminded me of the story of Gideon.  I always loved the Sunday School reenactment- “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” so I went back to Judges to re-read the account and I found God’s reply to Gideon when he also felt like this adventure was just more than he could handle.  “The Lord turned to him and said, ‘Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand.  Am I not sending you?’” (Judges 6:14).  Gideon had already admitted how incredibly weak he was, but the Lord sent him anyway in the little strength he did have, because God was going to provide all the strength he needed.  Right now, I feel a little like Gideon on this adventure, I am growing very weak from all that I have to accomplish, but I’m seeing that God will provide all the strength I need.  Strength to walk away from all I have known, strength to meet the unknown, strength to navigate the day to day.  After all, I have already seen the dew on the fleece, and then again the dew all around it.  Each step of the adventure He has shown that He will provide what I need to keep going. 

Several years ago, I found this sign as a gift for a women’s retreat.  I planned to give it away, but loved it so much I snapped this picture to keep as a reminder… “Adventure may hurt you, but monotony will kill you.”  I’d rather go on a big adventure dependent on the strength of the One going with me, than to die a slow death of monotony because it is easier.  It may hurt a little (or some days a lot), but I know in the end it is going to be worth it.  I’m glad I have a chance to “go on a ‘venture!”

“The Lord turned to Gideon and said, ‘Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand.  Am I not sending you?’ ‘Pardon me, my lord,’ Gideon replied, ‘but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.’ The Lord answered, ‘I will be with you’…”  Judges 6: 14-16