THE ADVENTURE
Copyright
2005
LAMENTATIONS 3:22-23
22) IT IS THE LORD’S MERCIES
THAT WE ARE NOT CONSUMED, BECAUSE HIS COMPASSIONS FAIL NOT.
23) THEY ARE NEW EVERY
MORNING: GREAT IS THY
FAITHFULNESS.
A
dear friend reminded me of this short story that God had given me years
ago while having a conversation with her last week.
She was talking about great changes that were coming in her life
and she mentioned ‘The Adventure’. I
had completely forgotten God had given it to me and that I had shared
it. By reading back over it I realized it had been 15 years since God
had given it to me. I thought since
she had been encouraged by it over these years maybe I would share it
with you and that you might enjoy reading it too.
J
This
is how it began then, 15 years ago.
In the past when our daughter
was younger, when we made a move, or were having an experience where the
unknown was looking back at us, we decided to look at what ever the experience
was as an ‘adventure’. We would picture ourselves packing a suitcase and
saying, “Okay God, here we go. We are going through this together, with
you, so here we go. We are ready
to get going.”
Just recently I was praying
for a friend and also for myself. We were both separately going through
some difficult things. While I was praying, I pictured us starting out
on an adventure, each of us setting out in our own direction with God’s
help. As I was thinking about it, God gave me this
‘story picture’ in my mind as if it were happening at that moment, step
by step.
I would like to share this
story with you.
THE ADVENTURE
I was standing in a Motel
room at the foot of a bed. As I looked around, the room had only a dresser
type desk and to the right of me, a door that led out of the room. There was nothing on the walls or dresser top
and the bed was made up with just a plain spread. There was nothing fancy or extra in the room.
At the foot of the bed,
at my reach, was a suitcase. It
was an older style, hard sided, yellow beige suitcase. I began putting
things into the suitcase. The first
thing I put in the suitcase was a map.
I remember setting the map in it with a feeling of confidence.
It was like “I knew what I was doing and my felling was ‘okay,
lets see what goes in here next’.” Next I packed a few clothes for warm weather
and a few for cold weather. I didn’t know what for sure to expect and
the weather can be unpredictable. On
top of a sweater, I laid my Bible.
Next, I put in a camera
and a journal, and a good pair of walking shoes. I also put in a pair
of dress shoes. God told me I could
put in the pair of dress shoes and a dress outfit for fun, if I chose
to, incase it worked out where I could use them.
Somehow I had the feeling that it would.
So I did. Then God had me
just fill in things I thought I would like to include. The things He mentioned
were specific and seemed important to Him.
Next I closed and locked
the suitcase securely, and tagged it with a nametag and destination tag.
At the moment the destination tag was blank.
As I stood at the foot
of the bed, I thought about the destination tag being blank. I was ready
to go and didn’t know what to do next.
Just that fast, the destination appeared on the tag.
Next I seemed to realize
I had reached my destination. I
found myself in a room similar to the first.
I then opened my suitcase and noticed a sunrise and a smile appear
inside. (Immediately I knew what these things meant but
I will explain them in more detail at the end of this story).
I looked inside my suitcase
again and the sunrise and the smile had disappeared. In their place and among all the things I had
packed was the pair of walking shoes that looked like they had accumulated
a great amount of mud on the bottom of them.
I asked God why the walking shoes had so much mud on the bottom
of them. God told me it was because
when I got to my destination that was all I knew to do. I walked around checking out the area and all
that was around me to see what was available and what the area had to
offer me. I placed the walking shoes mud and all back in my suitcase and
waited on God. I was perplexed that
there were muddy shoes in my suitcase when an alarm clock appeared on
the sweater and the alarm clock went off.
When the alarm went off I knew I had arrived at where God wanted
me to be. The alarm was on the sweater and to me a sweater
means comfort. I knew I was safe and comfortable and where God wanted
me to be. I had waited on God, did
all I knew to do and had left all the rest in God’s hands.
LET ME EXPLAIN
THE MEANING OF THE OBJECTS IN ‘THE ADVENTURE’.
A. THE ROOM
1. The room I was in was very plain.
There was nothing on the walls or the dresser. = God is saying
He doesn’t want us to get distracted from trusting Him.
2. There were no other furnishings or
extra things around in the room. = God was showing me that I had all the
necessities and that was what was important.
He was taking care of my needs.
3. There were no other people in the
story. I think God is saying that
ultimately He is the one to meet our needs.
B. THE SUITCASE
1. It was old, but durable and practical
for the adventure ahead. I think
God wanted me to see that having the right perspective is very important.
The suitcase was not fancy or in style in anyway.
It was nothing that anyone would desire or want any part of. =
It was my adventure and the suitcase is just for what my adventure needed.
Just like the adventure was mine and mine
alone to take.
2. Also I think God wanted me to realize
people were watching me on my adventure. It really wasn’t something anyone would desire.
But they were watching me to see how I would handle it.
Whatever our adventure we can only handle it with God’s help.
C. THE MAP
1. Usually when a person goes on a trip
they get out a map and mark up a route to take and any stop over points
of interest they might want to stop and see.
2. This map was blank except for a couple
of inches of line on the bottom where I was then.
3. Even though it was blank, it was put
in the suitcase with confidence, knowing that God would fill in the lines,
as they were needed, as it was time. = We don’t have to know all of the
details to start out. We just need
to trust that when we start out, knowing to do all we know to do, that
God will direct our steps. J
D. CLOTHES
1. Putting in some cool and
some warm clothes shows
Responsibility. = Again shows we don’t know for sure what
to expect, but we do what we know to do and act on that.
E. THE CAMERA AND JOURNAL
1. During my adventure, I knew God would
show Himself strong on my behalf. (11 Chronicles
16:9a – For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the earth,
to show himself strong on behalf of them who’s
heart is perfect toward him). I
had already learned that about my God before packing and taking off. So knowing me God knew I would want to take lots
of pictures for memories.
2. The journal would be used to write
things down that happen along the way. These may be things that God may
want us to read later to show us things from Him.
Maybe some things might be used to remind us how God taught us,
corrected us, encouraged us and guided us along our adventure. These things
that we write down are good reminders to us of how our God showed Himself strong for us.
F. THE CLOTHES FOR FUN
1. They show that God covers all the
bases in our lives. He cares about
all aspects. He cares about taking
a time for fun and relaxation.J
G. CLOSED AND SECURELY LOCKED
SUITCASE.
1. Shows again responsibility on our
part.
2. Shows our trust in God
for the next step.
H. DESTINATION TAG
1. The destination tag shows responsibility
on our part. God does ask of us to do what we know to do and can do.
2. We are showing trust in God
by putting the tag on there before we know what to write on it.
3. We are not only trusting God for the
answer but also for guidance and for direction to get us where He wants
us to go. He will never leave or
forsake us. We are not left dangling
on our own with no direction or help. We
may have to remind ourselves of that truth during our adventure. That is a good thing to keep in mind along the
way.
I.
1. LAMANATIONS 3:22-23
22) It is the LORD’S mercies that we
are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23) They are new every morning. Great is Thy faithfulness.
These two scriptures are very important
and special and mean a lot to me. It reminds me that if each day is new
in God’s eyes, then each day should be new in my eyes. He doesn’t get weary like we do. God has all things for us fresh and new each
day. We need to remember this when
on an adventure. We do not look
at our days as running together. As
if to say “I am so tired of this.
It has been 3 months or it has been 7 years and I am getting so
weary. Where is God in all of this?” Each day is a new day. We go to bed and wake up to a whole new day.
We need to find our day new and fresh and overflowing with God’s
compassion and faithfulness and mercy. Be looking for it! And have a great day!!!
J. SMILE
1. PSALM 118:24
24) This is the day which the LORD hath
made: we will rejoice and be glad in it.
1.) This is an attitude that needs to become
apart of us. = Not
just in an adventure but always. We
WILL rejoice and be glad.
K. MUDDY SHOES
1.God was trying to
impress upon me the effort that was used on my part to do what I knew
to do. I did a lot of walking to
muddy up my walking shoes that much.
2.It’s been 15 years
since God first gave me this adventure story.
While I am sitting here typing this to go on my web site, I still
find myself wondering why I would put muddy shoes in my suitcase. And after 15 years and many adventures, now I
think I know why. I think God is
telling me to remember during the length of my adventure, while I am waiting
on Him, to remind myself of one thing and to never forget it. That would be the simple fact that I cannot do
anything myself. I must wait on Him. Mud in my suitcase.
That would really bug me and nag at me, staying in the front of my mind. I would want to be getting at cleaning up the
mess. Obviously after 15 years it
still is bugging me. Ha Ha. As far as the adventure goes in this story
it looks like God had a purpose for the mud staying in my suitcase.
Yucky! Just like that would nag at me I need to nag myself to remember
I have a responsibility to use the mind God gave me and the abilities
that He has given me. I need also to remember I would not have them or
be able to use them correctly without His help and guidance and presence
in my life. Mud gets in and around
everything and so does God…. and thankfully so.
Not yucky. Just see how fast
my perspective can be changed. J
L. THE ALARM CLOCK
1. The alarm clock just appears and goes
off to show God’s timing had arrived. We
need to remember that in all of our adventures, the time will arrive.
We will know God’s will because we have asked for it and He desires
for us to have it.
M. THE BIBLE
1. We have our Bible in our suitcase
to read and find encouragement and direction.
During the times in our adventure when we are too caught up in
it all and we have come to a point where it is hard to read and or pray
we have scriptures deep down in our spirit that will be brought to our
remembrance by the Holy Spirit.
2. When we continue to read the Bible
during our adventure times, it continually reminds us that God loves us
and is on our side and things will turn out right.
God gave me this story