Experiencing Father's Love: Destination or Adventure?

We are planning a vacation to the Gulf Coast of Texas which includes driving about 16 hours, we have a destination.  We aren't necessarily looking for grand adventure as we drive down there but the truth is the best laid plans don't always work out like you think.  Is this the goal of life?  To lay out plans that will work out; meaning that getting to the destination we intend is most important.  After seeing a movie called, "A Story Worth Living" by John Eldredge I began to see that Father was bringing some guidance to my heart.

As I studied the story of Abram who became Abraham (Genesis 12-13), there were dimensions in his story that touch mine and yours as well.  You see "story" is truly where we find meaning, direction, and understand in life.  As a people we love good stories, whether it be a classic tale penned long ago or a more modern tale displayed through Sci-Fi (like Star Wars movies).  It seems we have a constant appetite for "story".  Abram is called by God in Genesis 12 to leave the household of his father to pursue the ongoing journey of the Promise Land.  Abram has a destination, yet  God emphasizes the Promise He has made to Abram and his decendents.  Abram sets out on this grand adventure with all his family, his possessions, and even Lot (another relative).  Yet on the way to his destination (the Promise Land) he hits a snag, there comes a famine on the land.  A famine means that resources like food from the land, feed for the livestock, and water can be in short supply (drought can cause famine).

Abram forgets he is on a grand adventure of trust with God and begins to focus on how will he get his whole enterage to the Promise Land if there is not food or supplies.  Abram turns to go to Eygypt where they have mastered being able to supply themselves and don't need to rely on God.  Then there is another problem with his plan, Sarai his wife is beautiful even though she probably in her 60s.  Since they both lived until they were about 175, she looked more like she was in her 30s.  When the Bible says that every other woman looked like a "monkey" compared to her she must have been a real "looker".  Abram's plan (leaving God out) meant he had to figure out how to slip his gorgeous wife into a hostile country without causing a problem or getting himself killed.  Ah Hah!  The perfect plan came to mind (with the original orphans help), he would simply say that Sarai was his sister so she would still be protected but he would save his own skin.

Abram's plan to get to his destination seemed to be working because this pagan king bought it but he was so enomered with Sarai that he took her to be his wife.  Then because Sarai was supposedly Abram's sister (actually half-sister), then Abram was treated well.  The best laid orphan plans look good in the beginning but then begin to fall apart at the seams.  Soon the king discovered the truth and rebuked Abram and finally kicked him out.  Abram made the destination more important in his focus than being on an adventure with God.

If life is truly a "story" and an adventure then there will be many twists and turns that will challenge us to trust God at greater levels.  Since on an adventure He is actually growing us up through relying on Him.  I am seeing that I have often turned life into a destination rather than allowing it to be an adventure.  Truly, adventures are much more fun but will always include risks, challenges, valleys, and mountain tops.

On Adventure with Father,
Bret