Longing: The Adventure of a Lifetime

     I am a girl who loves stories and, with them, adventure. Even when I was little, I was spellbound by the way many of the stories I loved were crafted so beautifully. I liked the fact that they always seemed to draw people in. I marveled at how how they could whisk me off to other lands in just a snap. Through stories, I traveled back in time or into the future. I met many lovable and not-so-lovable characters. I became a part of all sorts of their crazy, wonderful and exciting mishaps, all of which were, I suppose, what first instilled in me my love for adventure. I didn’t know it then, but I was going to learn what adventure really meant to me.

     I continued to watch and read about other people going on exciting journeys. The more I did, the more I developed a longing for an adventure of my own. I loved the feeling of someday being able to travel and explore. I wanted to experience new things and see breathtaking sights. I was fascinated at how interesting and beautiful the world was. I wanted to see more of it and discover what it held for me. I didn’t want another experience just in the movies or in my books, either. I wanted real full-blown adventures that I could call mine. I read and I watched; I daydreamed and played pretend, hoping my own adventures would come soon.

     However, as I grew older, I started to realize that to go on an adventure wasn’t as easy as it seemed. Life just didn’t always consist of the exciting things. I didn’t get to experience anything as thrilling as the people’s encounters in the stories I’d read or watched. On the contrary, my life was composed of normal, everyday things. Instead of going on expeditions, I went on car rides to the grocery store. Instead of conquering giants, I conquered the dirty dishes. I didn’t get the chance to visit outer space, or save the world, or discover the sunken city of Atlantis. It seemed that the movies and my books were the closest I could ever get to tasting adventure.

     One day I came across a book that changed my thinking. In it, one of the characters remarked, “It’s not what the world holds for you; it’s what you bring to it.” That line struck a chord in me. Suddenly, I realized that I didn’t want my life to be about discovering what the world had in store for me. As wonderful as that would be, I discovered that I would much rather make a change in it and the people around me. After all, I thought, isn’t the whole purpose of my life to glorify the Lord and show people how amazing He is? I accepted that calling when I became a Christian. What mark would I leave on the earth if I only lived for myself?

     I believe I was changed by my realizations. My perspective was now different. I didn’t want to live my life in the search of an adventure of my own anymore. Instead, I wanted to find out what I could do for other people to have their adventures. While it is true that sailing the seven seas would be grand, it wouldn’t be quite as fulfilling as the adventure of helping others. It is a hard journey, but I know that it is one worth taking. Who knows? Maybe I’ll get to have the adventure of a lifetime after all!

{Image via We Heart It}