Adventure Land

So I'm thinking a lot about adventure lately. As children we often dream about our adult life and think of it as a great adventure. We know there's a whole social realm that we can't really participate in until we join the ranks of maturity. We suppose it must be something grand, limitless, thrilling. When we get there there's a general disappointed sigh. Adults tell us and we tell each other something along the lines of 'wake up, this isn't what you dreamed of; this is the real world'. Well, I think that's un-called-for. Of course we need to grasp a sense of responsibility; we have to be aware of the less exciting tasks in life. This does not have to mean abandoning our adventure; not in the least. We could have adventures all the time! Seriously, why can't paying the rent be an adventure? Why can't cleaning toilets be an adventure? And why can't you take time on your day off to head out a couple hours down that interstate to stand on new heights, to peer down new precipices, to tromp through new mud, to swim in new waters?

These are the adventures God's been giving me lately. I say that God's giving them to me because decided to wake up every morning with a prayer. I say, God, will you take me on an adventure today? Where do you want to go? What do you want to say to me? I think He loves to answer this prayer; he does it all the time!

On Saturday morning I wasn't feeling this whole adventure thing. I thought the best activity I could think of was to stay in my warm bed all morning. I didn't have anything else to do. I stayed there for quite some time half sleeping half staring at the ceiling. I could hear adventure calling but I turned a deaf ear. Finally it was too much. I jumped out of bed and stumbled down stairs to see about breakfast. In the kitchen I was met with a glorious site. We have three wide, full length windows looking out into the back yard. They were each filled with an image of the world outside under winter's spell. While I was asleep a giant blanket of snow was covering the earth outside. The trees were dusted with sugar and you could still see the fall colored leaves underneath. Minnesota had her first snowfall of the year; it was quickly melting and I almost missed it! Although out the day people grumbled about the snow: 'It's too early for snow, it's too cold, it's too winter' but I just smiled.

We need to appreciate what's being thrown our way, to love what we have today; not just what we want for tomorrow. But that doesn't mean don't dream. Lets just take our dreams seriously. Ask God to give you an adventure. Why would he refuse a request like that? I think God's always trying to take us on an adventure and we often have better things to do. Yet the impression we often get of God is as a fun killer. I think, compared to the adventures God wants to take us on, our idea of fun is pretty dull. Think about what you spend most of your time doing. I confess, I spend a lot of it watching TV, even though I don't like to. TV is probably the most dull form of entertainment there is. It's just enough to convince you that it's an activity you enjoy and to tempt you to just watch more instead of getting up and having real fun.

So what is fun? What is adventure? What's the meat of life? You tell me! please comment...