So if you didn’t read Road Trip part one, I wrote about my amazing holiday travels up the East Coast of Australia. SO many new experiences...SO many breath taking sights and deliciously exciting flavours...SO much mystery as we spontaneously explored new places...Adventure! FUN! (I’d recommend you read at least just the first couple of paragraphs of my last blog to get an idea).
The thing I loved the most about my road trip was discovering life through the perspective of ADVENTURE! I guess when we get really busy and stuck in our routines, it’s easy to forget that there is a whole world around us that we have no idea about. We can adopt a safe approach to life that allows us to consistently function from day to day, to maximise efficiency and comfort, and to stay in control. “Comfort zone”?
They say that once a person starts travelling, they can catch a “travel bug” which makes them get itchy feet. They get a taste of adventure and then discover an urgency to do it again...and again. An addiction to new experiences. And it could be true that I’ve been infected by this bug, but I just feel like there is so much to be gained in the exploration...so much to learn...a wealth of knowledge, insights and memories. I LOVE having my mind stretched!
It’s interesting though, because it’s easy to approach life adventurously when you know it’s just a short holiday and you realise you’ll be returning to “normal” life again soon. And sure enough, when I got home, after the initial anti-climax and post-holiday blues, I was motivated to settle in to a structured, predictable and productive life-style. I was pretty much ready to plan out my entire life. But then as soon as I felt quite directionless and confused about the future, I began to stress out. I wanted all the info for where I was going and how I’d get there. I prayed, I fasted, read books and listened to so many podcasts, hoping that I’d figure it all out.
And then God said to me...”Hannah! You’ve just been on the most adventurous holiday during which you thrived on the spontaneity, and then you come home and demand that every detail be planned in advance. How about you trust me and adopt that adventurous spirit in your everyday life.” What God?
There’s such a sense of freedom when you allow yourself to get lost in an adventure. Anxiety is replaced with excitement. Then a lack of planned details is not a loss of control, but rather the flexibility to be spontaneous. Facing the unknown is an opportunity to explore new things. The vulnerability of being in the passenger seat is not scary, it means that the driver does all the tedious planning and organising...and you get to be surprised...and you can just chill out and enjoy the ride. Yes there are feelings of discomfort, but risk makes adventures fun! Comfort is overrated right?
Seriously, God abounds with knowledge, power and resources, and this means that the possibilities are endless. And God loves me, He desires to bless me and wants nothing more than for me to live the most amazing life possible. He says that He is able to do more than I can ever ask or imagine (Eph. 3:20) and He does in fact have plans for my future that involve prosperity (prosper: to be successful or fortunate, to thrive, flourish)(Jer. 29:11). God is smarter than me, He’s trustworthy, and He’s more than capable of taking care of the details of my life. My sense of adventure is stirred by confident hope and anticipation.
This year has been the funnest year of my life! I almost feel guilty for having so much fun. But to be honest, I have to constantly remind myself to stop stressing and chill out. Even yesterday I had such an intense freak-out moment...getting impatient and anxious...I want answers to every question concerning life. And all I could hear in the back of my mind was “be still and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10)...God’s got BIG surprises for me...it’s on its way. I’m so excited!! Yeeeeah!
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