The Great Adventure

By Steven Curtis Chapman

Let’s follow our leader into the glorious unknown.
This is a life like no other, this is the great adventure!

Given that tomorrow is Father’s Day, I’d like to share with you one of my favorite memories I have of me and my dad. Maybe about 10 years ago or so, my dad and I went to go for a walk. It was cloudy out, and he asked me if I wanted to bring an umbrella. I said no for some reason, and off we went. We walked up the big hills by my house and discovered a small, wooded area that I’ve never been to before. Sure enough, that’s when it started to rain. We found shelter under a downed tree and sat there for a while until the rain lightened up. We continued our journey, stopped at a 7/11, and headed on back home. That’s when it really started to rain. We got soaked! On our way home, my mom actually passed by us in her truck and offered a ride home. My grandmother and sister were there as well, and they were all laughing at us! We may have been drenched, but that was one of the best memories I have of me and my dad.

I think why I remember that day so fondly is because it was my first lesson on learning how to treat life as an adventure, something my dad has taught me well. Whenever I am nervous about trying something new or going someplace I’ve never been, he tells me to, “Think of it as an adventure!” So that is the attitude I try to have whenever I am about to embark on a journey, both the physical and metaphorical.
When I Googled the definition for “adventure,” the first response I got was, “an unusual and exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity.” Doesn’t that perfectly describe what life is?

Life is unusual. You never know what to expect or what kinds of people you will encounter. Life is full of hazards that block our paths and redirect our steps. Sometimes, life gets dangerous. But life is also exciting! We get to experience a world full of culture, music, art, food, majestic landscapes and all the wonders of nature. Life is even more exciting when we get to experience all this with our loved ones.
Thinking about my adventure with dad got me thinking about the song, “The Great Adventure,” by Steven Curtis Chapman. This song reminds us that greatest adventure we will ever get to experience is the one we will go on once we accept Jesus Christ into our lives.
When you go on an adventure, you don’t just sit there and wait for something to happen. You need to physically get up, go out, and actively experience life. And when you come back from that amazing adventure, you want to tell everyone about it. You tell stories about the trip, show pictures of the great sights, and you do it with a passion that makes other people want to go there too. This is what the Christian life should be like.

On our journey we will have moments when it feels like we are on top of the world, as though we are standing on mountains so high, we could touch heaven. But there will also be times when we will walk through low valleys, dark and scary. These are the moments of unease, unrest, and uncertainty.

Despite those moments of lows, however, we will discover that God is taking us on the greatest journey our hearts will ever see. And when it feels like the adventure is just too much to handle, as though we are children who feel too weak to go any further, our heavenly Father will pick us up and his love will take us far beyond what we could imagine.

As you continue to journey on through this life, I encourage you to take my dad’s advice and just, “Think of it as an adventure!” Have this mindset even more so when you find yourself anxious about what is to come. This may be easier said than done but remember that you must climb a mountain in order to see the breathtaking view that awaits at the top.

I am so grateful for my dad and all the adventures we’ve had over the years. We have made so many memories. I am so blessed that he has been here to help guide me through this adventure called “Life.” Keeping his words in mind too, “think of it as an adventure,” I will continue to venture out into the great unknown with anticipation.

Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
Psalm 84:5

Click here to watch the music video for “The Great Adventure.”