To be or not to be...adventurous

Where do you grow your roots?

For my blog readers... I have been following another blog about a woman who has been through a lot in the last few years and is setting out to tackle adventures in order to regain her courage for life. My latest entry is in response to her latest adventure of water skiing and her questions on what, we do for adventure or what holds us back from adventure? Here was my response which was too long to post as a comment on her blog and would have been in bad form to do so anyway...like a house guest that over stays their welcome.

After reading your post this morning it dawned on me "I've done plenty of adventurous things in my life! I've jet skied before...a few times actually! I've even laid belly down on a plastic tube filled with air, as well, and held on for dear life, as my brother cranked up the speed on his boat in an attempt to throw me off! I've swallowed class 4 river water while I strove to right myself again so that I could just float down river while I waited for another raft to cruise by and pick me up, after being thrown from my raft while white water rafting, as a favor to my friend for her 30th birthday. I've prayed vigilantly calling out the name of Jesus and praying my mother & children wouldn't be too sad if the ice cracked and swallowed us down into its freezing, cold depths, trapping us there beneath its icy wall, as I sat behind my husband on a snowmobile, holding onto him for dear life as we crossed a frozen lake...much to my crazied tantrumed protesting"

Even though I say it was against my will to cross the frozen lake my husband has always been really good about allowing me to truly have the final say about whether or not I did any of these things. He never chided or cajoled me into doing these things but gave me the room and respect to always say NO WAY! He never thought any less of me if I chose to "sit it out."

It was always my choice if I chose to join in and not sit back on the sidelines while I watched my life pass me by. Perhaps I have been more adventurous than I give myself credit for?

Perhaps as life ferments me I am just content with rising to the unexpected challenges on a day to day or as they come at me basis...like when fighting for the life of my little baby Isaiah a few months ago...suddenly being hurled into a decision where the Drs were pleading with me to abort him because my life was at risk...but I held on and he was born....only to die after he fought for his life for 10 days. The abruptness of a devastating ending for me, yet a heavenly adventure for him. Or the fact that I will soon be clinging on to my oldest son, when he leaves for basic training in Sept, not wanting to let go, but letting go anyway, because I choose to do the right thing for him and for his life, so that he can pursue his own adventures.

Yeah...I think for me its been all about the choice to do IT. Whatever IT is. Whether it's choosing to let go of having control over everything, or choosing to hold on with all of my might and being thrown from the raft anyway or watching my child die.

The underlying courage? My faith. Through it all I have always been able to cling to my faith. My faith that 'THIS' isn't all there is. This is only the beginning...there is LIFE after life and so what do I have to fear? Death? Death holds no sting for me, only sweet release into what I have been living for anyway. To be reunited with my loved ones and my Savior someday.

Life...HA...no one makes it out alive! Just living is an adventure, especially when you are living for the Lord! I never know which way He is going to turn the tide and yet I still have to trust and believe and love Him. Walking by faith and not by sight is the biggest tidal wave of adventure I have ever ridden!

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