The Adventure of Life

No one said it would be easy.

Should anything so great as the adventure of life be always easy? Would the rewards be so great, the accomplishments so satisfying, the friendships so meaningful if the challenges of life were simple? Without turmoil, would we recognize peace? Without sorrow, would we acknowledge joy? Without loss, would we know gain?

Life is an adventure. Great adventures have a taste of  uncertainty, a hint of danger, the exhilaration of the unknown. Adventure without challenge would be like summer without the Sun, or a beach without the ocean. It would be incomplete, unfulfilling.

No one said it would be easy, but great things rarely are.

The greatest adventures are shared.

My best adventures have been ones I have shared with my family and friends. I would not climb a mountain, explore the depths of the sea, or fly around the world by myself. I want someone there with me, to share the successes and failures, the joys and the sorrows, the burden and the glory.

I like, and in fact need, my alone time. But I would never want to do life alone. There was a period in my life when I thought that sounded great; not anymore. As I have aged and matured I realize that my greatest joys are shared, not isolated. My greatest accomplishments come as a team, not an individual. My greatest adventures are never lonely, nor would they be so great if they were.

You will need help on this adventure.

No one does life well alone. Yes, you can get through it, but you will never thrive, never succeed, never do and be all you can be on your own. To fully explore, experience, enjoy life you have to walk with God and your fellow man. God did not create us to be alone, islands in our own experiences. He created us for community with Him and each other.

Our relationships with God are described in the Bible as a marriage, as a friendship, as a family. Each of these relates to how we interact with each other as well. We cannot do life as God intended without engaging in relationships. Why? Because we need each other. We will face mountains we cannot climb alone. We will experience storms we cannot weather on our own. We will need a helping hand, not only from God who carries each step of our journey, but from those around us.

If no one is around, who will lift you out of the pits into which you fall?

Life is an adventure.

It can be hard, and it can be beautiful. It can be tortuous, and it can be exhilarating. While we know our destination, the path thereto remains in shadows, waiting to be discovered. Explore it. Enjoy it. Live life to its fullest.

Life truly is the adventure of a lifetime. You only get to do it once.

Do your best to make the most of it.