Today’s Inspiration (7-22-22)

From birth until I was 26 years old, I participated in various quests and adventures (real and imaginary). As a kid, I’d fight Nazis to find hidden treasure. I’d ride my horse to the castle to free the princess for the evil Wizard. Then, as I got older, I found adventure in hunting wild game, playing various sports for the win, and treasure hunting for gold and silver with metal detectors. Sometimes I would risk body and limb to fulfill these quests, but in the end…I was rewarded with the knowledge of knowing I had “done it.” I saw my mission through to the end, and I gained experience and wisdom (and sometimes massive deer, victory over the opposing team, and pockets full of silver). Sadly, as I got older, the desire to go find adventure slowly ceased and I transitioned into a life of comfort…living for the 9 to 5.

I fear that we live in a day and age where risk and adventure have been traded for comfort and convenience. The light of the wild American Spirit that helped build, shape, and grow this great land is slowly being snuffed out. Why? Comfort and convenience!

Men (and women) are slowly losing their desire for quests and adventures. Instead of going and climbing a mountain, we can simply go online and look at pictures and videos of other people climbing mountains and we’re content. No need to do it…just Google it!

Unfortunately, when we opt to read about someone else’s journey or watch a video documenting a great adventure or quest- instead of participating in such endeavors- we miss the experiences, adrenaline rushes, overcoming of obstacles, and personal growth associated with equivalent feats that test our own personal courage, strength, and endurance.

The fact of the matter is, we were created to take part in, learn from, and find joy in completing great adventures and quests. God gave us a desire for chasing after the crusades, expeditions, and journeys. From the time we were young and we crawled or skipped around the house, the neighborhood, and the schoolyard looking for pirates, treasures, ghosts, monsters, and aliens, we’ve had that spirit of exploration and discovery. It’s built into our DNA. Not only has God instilled this trait in us, has assured us that as we engage in pursuing similar adventures, what we gain from the journey makes us stronger, wiser, and better prepared to meet and conquer the next quest.

NOTE: our personal adventure doesn’t have to be a climb to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro or the quest to find Cortez’ gold. Our adventure might look more like a treacherous journey to overcome depression, a groundbreaking quest for a promotion at work, the daring adventures of parenting teenagers, or “pushing the limits” of our body and mind so that we may live a healthier lifestyle. It’s the act of getting outside our comfort zone and seeing what awaits us on the other side.

The Bible tells us in the Book of James: “Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” ~ James‬ ‭1:2-4‬

These were words of encouragement and inspiration to Christians who were (and still are) being persecuted, BUT the message is universal and applicable to our lives today. God is basically saying, “Hey look! Adventure awaits. It will be hard. It might be dangerous. Take a chance on yourself and do the thing you’ve been so afraid of doing.” It’s easy to read about “it”…it’s so much more rewarding to “DO IT”!

Don’t Google it…go out and do it! Experience it! Live the adventure! AND…know that as you progress through your quest, there will be hard times. There will be roadblocks. There will be setbacks. There might even be danger and heartbreak. But if we endure the hardships, learn from them, and rise above them, we will have endured and completed our quest. Like James tells us, “…let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

So Go! Be daring. Be inquisitive. Be adventurous. Go and begin your own quest to find the reward, success, and life you’ve been looking for. At the end of the day, the only one who can start the adventure that awaits…is you! And the only one who can walk beside us and see us through yo the end of our journey…is Jesus!

NOW…get off your Bloomin’ Arse and go find (and experience) you Adventure!