1. Not many adventures just happen, you need to plan them. Granted some people seem to have adventures happening spontaneously in their lives consistently, as a general rule, an adventure requires a certain amount of planning. The year I planned to go backpacking for 60 miles my daughter was seven. Never mind that she threw up before we even walked one step and also that after thirty miles we had to call it quits because the number of blisters on my feet were almost as many as the miles we walked.
2. Just because the adventure didn't pan out the way we planned doesn't mean it was unsuccessful or any less an adventure. The backpacking trip was half as long as we planned, the first nights campground had no water, and raccoons ransacked our packs, but what makes something an adventure is the potential for the unexpected.
3. Other people don't always want to hear about your adventures. I have found that at first people may politely listen to your stories, but after a time, you sense they seem almost jealous. I've had difficulty with this because I love to listen to people tell about their adventures because it is a way I can relive their excitement with them.
4. People like to talk about their adventures. Talking about the adventure brings some of the "rush" of the initial adventure back. One of my adventures I was not allowed to tell anyone for 20 years--until it was declassified. That was SO hard.
5. Adventures run a range of mildly stimulating to outright terrifying. The day I attempted to rappel off the side of a building as part of Jungle Warfare Training easily hit the category of terrifying.
6. Even though a person's life is boring they would rather live their adventures vicariously through movies and books than to actually experience them for themselves. It feels much safer to go the vicarious route. Safe can be pretty boring though. I used to love to read spy adventures and dream of being a kind of 007, saving mankind and coming forth as the heroine with not a hair out of place. I "accidentally" ended up involved in one of those spy adventures for real when I was in the Air Force. Let me tell you, when the pen and ink adrenaline is pumping for real through your flesh and blood body, you find that actual fear is WAY stronger than any author could ever express it.
7. Even small adventures can be fun. Doing something out of the norm can invigorate you, give you something to look forward to , and change your perspective on life. Remember as a kid, looking forward to Christmas, or trips, or whatever? Anticipation and planning can be as much a part of the adventure than the adventure itself.
After Peter got out of the boat to walk on the water, do you think that any of the other disciples wished they would have gotten out of the boat too? Peter's perspective on getting out of the boat had to be different than those still in the boat. They would tell the story from the vicarious viewpoint, whereas, when Peter told the story, it would be about HIS thought, perceptions, and feelings. Who would tell the best story, the one who actually experienced the event or the one who sat back and saw it happen?
8. You can invite others into your adventure, but you will find that few will take you up on it. The adventure may be too risky for some and since it wasn't their idea, others won't want to join.
9. Whether you realize it or not, life is an adventure, whether you see it as such and making the most of it is up to you. Making the most of the adventure makes you stimulating, exciting, and fun to be around. Plodding through life, seeing it as a drudgery and a a rut is reflected in your way of relating to people. So, learn to "do things afraid", lean into the rappelling rope, realizing that it will stretch before going taut. It will be occasionally frightening, but how will you truly describe rappelling down the cliff, parachuting, or hang gliding unless you take that chance.
Sometimes God places you into an adventure not of your choosing. I am in free fall right now and have been since last year when I lost my job. To be honest, even though I have sent out tons of resumes, things don't look good at the moment. The only thing I can do right now is to enjoy the scenery, the experience on the way, and lean into the rappelling rope rather than worry about when or if the rope will hold or even about hitting the ground. God has never let me down in the past and although I have no idea how or where I will land, my "instructor" does, and He will see that I get down safely and that everything will work out.
10. There are some adventures we don't want to participate in. Plain and simple, some adventures suck. Watching a loved one die from cancer, losing a job, having your house burn down or ... Most of these are adventures we had no choice but take part in. These are the type of adventure that determines our level of faith and where it is exactly our faith is based.
I've been on a lot of adventures, both good and not so good, in fact, I've had several people tell me I should write a book. The overwhelming thing that I have learned from my adventures is that I want to keep having them. Life is so much more exciting being colorful versus being black and white. The dark colors make the others more vibrant. If I were to put a paint brush in your hand, would you join my adventure?
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