Our Next Great Adventure
I remember the day like it was yesterday. The sun was shining. We were walking through the countryside on gravel roads. Our backpacks were heavy, yet not burdensome. Randy and I had been walking the Camino de Santiago, slowly making our way from east to west across the country of Spain, for a while now. Long enough to be easy with our conversation. Not shying away from hard questions.
I don't know exactly what the question was; if it was him who asked it or if I had asked him first. But the gist of it was: what is something BIG you've always wanted to do?
As if walking across Spain wasn't BIG enough? Right?!
Yet, I find that each time I do something BIG, it just opens the door of my heart to keep doing big things.
The same is true for my year of living intentionally. I find that the more intentional I am about doing the things I know I am made to do, I just want to do more and more.
Without thinking (you know it comes straight from the heart when the answer is already on your tongue!) I said, "I'd like to volunteer at an orphanage."
Randy's response may have been what pushed me over the edge and made me fall in love with him. He said, "You would be really good at that."
Simple. Encouraging. Full of love.
Soon after that conversation Randy went home to California while I continued my pilgrimage across Spain. Almost immediately he had a conversation with a couple who said they regularly volunteer at an orphanage in Mexico. And we began imagining the possibilities.
We are coming up on the 2-year anniversary of that initial conversation. Two years of simply imagining the possibilities, yet doing nothing about them.
We did have our reasons for not being more proactive. Doctors appointments and poor test results and waiting for surgeries and putting all of our eggs in one basket. But really I think it comes down to our not living intentionally.
But this year is different. This year we are living with intention. So, when our basket of eggs was completely upended and all of our plans had to be scrapped, one of the first things we did was seek out that couple who regularly volunteer at the orphanage in Mexico. "We're going in a couple weeks if you want to come," they said. "We'll go again in April if you want to wait."
We don't want to wait. So, next week we'll be going to Mexico!
We have no idea what to expect. If we'll fall in love or be disappointed. If we'll be challenged or if it will all be fun and easy. If God will open another door after we step through this one or if He'll clearly shut it. All we know is that we are doing the next big thing we feel called to do.
Buen Camino!
As if walking across Spain wasn't BIG enough? Right?!
Yet, I find that each time I do something BIG, it just opens the door of my heart to keep doing big things.
The same is true for my year of living intentionally. I find that the more intentional I am about doing the things I know I am made to do, I just want to do more and more.
Without thinking (you know it comes straight from the heart when the answer is already on your tongue!) I said, "I'd like to volunteer at an orphanage."
Randy's response may have been what pushed me over the edge and made me fall in love with him. He said, "You would be really good at that."
Simple. Encouraging. Full of love.
Soon after that conversation Randy went home to California while I continued my pilgrimage across Spain. Almost immediately he had a conversation with a couple who said they regularly volunteer at an orphanage in Mexico. And we began imagining the possibilities.
We are coming up on the 2-year anniversary of that initial conversation. Two years of simply imagining the possibilities, yet doing nothing about them.
We did have our reasons for not being more proactive. Doctors appointments and poor test results and waiting for surgeries and putting all of our eggs in one basket. But really I think it comes down to our not living intentionally.
But this year is different. This year we are living with intention. So, when our basket of eggs was completely upended and all of our plans had to be scrapped, one of the first things we did was seek out that couple who regularly volunteer at the orphanage in Mexico. "We're going in a couple weeks if you want to come," they said. "We'll go again in April if you want to wait."
We don't want to wait. So, next week we'll be going to Mexico!
We have no idea what to expect. If we'll fall in love or be disappointed. If we'll be challenged or if it will all be fun and easy. If God will open another door after we step through this one or if He'll clearly shut it. All we know is that we are doing the next big thing we feel called to do.
Buen Camino!
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