The Great Adventure

I can't say I've often heard people say that doing life with God is unnerving: like riding the biggest rollercoaster with your hands in the air and feeling both fear and thrill simultaneously. When God tells you to buckle up and hang on for the ride, I'm not sure many of us are actually prepared for or have a clue of what that actually means. When I first give my brokenness to God and got strapped in for a life of living by faith, I don't think I realized it would often mean heading into the unknown with nothing more than the trusting hand of God to assure me. At the time, I thought I understood what it meant to do life at His side but years since have proven to me there were far more layers to trusting God than that. Perhaps you've discovered that, too.    

Recently, I was going through a really crazy time where so many things seemed to be happening at once. There wasn't anything negative going on. It was just a convergence of many responsibilities, unknowns, emotions, and questions all at the same time. And I my head was spinning, to be honest. I could feel my anxiety rise, my spirit wrestle. My brain was trying to wrap itself around what was taking place... anticipate and get ahead of the storyline so I could categorize and prepare myself for the outcome. In truth, I was trying to control and understand the situations so that I could feel safe. The open-endedness of everything was driving me crazy and my mind could only deal with it by attempting to wrap it all up into a containable package that I could manage. It was all getting to be too much. 

Yet... I kept coming across something time after time that reminded me to keep the bigger picture in mind. Everywhere I turned, it seemed I was running into some form of the message: 

"You're invited to a great adventure!"

 "Keep trusting the process!" 

"You don't have to see the whole picture; you just need to take the next step."

 "Do the next right thing." 

"Enjoy the ride!" 

I had to sit back and reflect. Deep in my soul, I knew that many of the things that were happening were actually answers to my prayers. Dreams from my heart. I had asked God years ago for the kinds of opportunities and connections that were unfolding, yet here I was again - questioning the journey and allowing what I couldn't see to define my level of trust in what was being given to me to steward in the now. I saw this picture in my mind of God handing me a present and asking me to gently hold it for awhile. I felt Him speaking to me and letting me know that, while I didn't know the length of time I was being given with this gift, I was supposed to profoundly appreciate it for the time I had. And suddenly, it struck me:

Every person, memory, opportunity, work that we're assigned in this life is, in reality, just a stewardship. We do not own these things; we only hold them. From start to end, they are God's. We just care for them for awhile. 

Beyond such a realization, it also occurred to me that all of the unknowns never catch God by surprise. He sees the entire ride long before we ever come on board. He knows what He wishes to accomplish and all He asks of us is to trust Him along the way. We are only tagging along, not driving it. And, no matter what the outcomes of any of these situations may be, we can rest assured that either way, it is allowed by God and nothing can stop it. For as much control as we think we have over this life, we actually have very little. God knows we cannot carry this weight, so He tells us to roll over these questions and burdens over to His strong shoulders. He can bear them. And He will bear them - gladly! 

Someone I read once termed it "going from mild to wild" when it comes to entering a life where you're fully awake to all that God is and does. That's the truth. So many of us are content to stay on the ground when God is telling us to jump on the ride, throw our hands up, and embrace the twists and turns of it all. When you know Who's in charge, it's easier to trust them when the ride goes where you last expect. When you believe that all things come to you from the hand of a good God who loves you deeply, then even the ones that feel confusing and uncertain are still hidden gifts to be opened and discovered. 

No, following God isn't predictable at all! If you're looking for an easy, safe, reliable ride, this probably isn't the one for you. Because God lives in the element of surprise. He keeps us with limited view for a reason, else we'd never have to trust Him. But in the unknowns of it all, He Himself is the known thing. We can count on Him to get us there safely and yes, to let us see some pretty grand things as we go. So let's throw up our arms today and offer up our praise, our thanks, and our trust. Perhaps the ride will be a little bit bumpy or crazy but above it all, may we hear the Voice that says, "Welcome to the Great Adventure!"