I’m sitting in a grove of aspen trees; a mule deer just walked by, never noticing me. Earlier in the morning, I was fly fishing a mountain lake. If you are a regular reader of my blog, you have undoubtedly picked up—I come alive being in the wild. Woods, streams, and high mountain vistas bring joy to my heart. I find peace in such settings because the wilds of nature are so prophetic of our life. Nature mirrors the adventure of life.
Off in the distance, along a mountain range, dark ominous clouds are forming. Lightning flashes and distant thunder can be heard. From my aspen perch it’s sunny and cloudless, but less than ten miles away there’s a storm brewing. The weather in the Rockies is unpredictable and dangerous. Soon the tempest will be upon me. Things change rapidly up here.
Life is also dangerous and unpredictable. Things change quickly. In 2019, few of us had ever heard of a covid-19 virus. The outcome of the presidential election of 2020 took many by surprise. Who would have imagined back then that the American Government would force businesses and churches to close? We are living in times of surprising, even shocking change.
Maybe you’re experiencing a tempest in your life right now. It could be you are in the center of a relational, marital, or business cyclone. It feels dangerous and you’re frightened. It seems overwhelming.
Navigating change is hard. Working out the next solution is arduous. But there is a mindset we must build into our lives if we are to overcome the challenges of life.
Wild Adventure
Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Jesus is reminding us that this life is unpredictable, difficult, and is opposition to your life in Christ. Yet, Christ has overcome the world.
Embrace the cyclone. Be dangerous. Be strong and courageous. Life is a wild adventure and it’s in embracing the storms with courage that we find joy. Being strong and courageous is risky business. It’s a wild adventure and it wouldn’t be an adventure if it wasn’t dangerous. In the 14th century the word adventure meant “hazardous.” To venture out is to take a risk. We are living in dangerous times. Dangerous times build dangerous people.
I want to challenge you to not fear danger but rather to embrace it. Dangerous people are those who live as though they have nothing to lose. Christ has already told us that He will overcome the tribulations of this world. Embrace Christ. The dangers of the Kingdom of God are the safes place for the Christian.
Pastor Steve
