I was thinking about the word adventure last week. My generation almost invariably uses the word "adventure" to mean "fun time!" As in, "We're going on a road-trip adventure to Colorado!" or "We're having a spring break adventure!" I was wondering why my life had stopped feeling like an adventure (wedding planning, along with my job and some other things, has been in a rough patch the past few weeks), when one of my favorite songs came on the radio: Steven Curtis Chapman's "The Great Adventure."
Here are the lyrics to the bridge:
We'll travel over, over mountains so high
We'll go through valleys below
Still through it all we'll find that
This is the greatest journey that the human heart will ever see
The love of God will take us far beyond our wildest dreams
When you think about it, it's the valleys that make something truly an adventure. I mean, think of the classic adventure stories: Robin Hood, Treasure Island, Star Wars! Every hero (I'm sorry, readers, that I didn't choose any stories with heroines...blame the literary canon) goes through rough patches and awful experiences. Robin Hood was an outlaw! He narrowly escaped execution, and had to watch Maid Marian be wooed by Prince John. We may romanticize Robin Hood's story, but really, how fun do you think living in the woods and constantly fearing for your life could be?
Jim Hawkins was betrayed by his best friend (because, in the book, he doesn't have cute Muppet friends to sing with). He saw friends die in front of him. Luke Skywalker also saw friends die, PLUS he had to deal with his dad being the Stalin of the galaxy. And Luke's life wasn't actually that great to begin with.
Despite all these setbacks and hardships, all of our heroes had a happy ending. Robin Hood got the girl, King Richard came back and deposed Prince John, and they all lived happily ever after. Jim Hawkins was too young to get any girl, but he did find the treasure and return safely to his mom. Luke Skywalker didn't get the girl (because, ew), but he triumphed over evil and saved the day!
I guess the point is, my life still is an adventure. This is just the valley of adventure, not the mountaintop. It doesn't necessarily make it easier to be in the valley, knowing that I'll end up on the moutaintop; but you know, I have assurance that my adventure is going to have the best happy ending possible. My adventure--of wedding planning specifically, and of life in general--may be a little valley-ish right now, but I also know that my adventure is happening within God's will.
I know that I am supposed to marry Robert, so whatever happens along the way to actually getting married to him, it'll turn out well because I'm acting within God's will. Like the song says, the love of God will take me far beyond my wildest dreams.
