Trailblazing

I’ve never thought of myself as capable of being “bored”. In fact, I’ve always disdained the word. I can always think of a thousand things to do to occupy my time. But, occupying my time may just be a guise to avoid “boredom”. Being busy – occupied – distracts me from listening to my heart, which often cries out for more meaning, for adventures, for trailblazing.

I am most alive when I am in the wilderness. A recent trip to the Bitterroot Mountains in western Montana reminded me of the effect of nature on my persona. I was driving over snow-covered roads (if they can be called roads) through the mountains and my heart started racing. What would I see around the bend? What would I see in the dense foliage? What would I discover? And my heart ascended in praise to God. It just happened. I didn’t plan it, but I found myself communing with the Lord, expressing my thanks for His creation.

As good as I felt, I wanted to share the moment with people I loved. I called my wife and other kindred spirits, inviting them to join me in celebration. I felt like I just had to tell someone about what I was seeing. It was too good to keep to myself.

This experience awakened something inside of me – a yearning to live more fully, to engage each moment, to live in the here and now.

Honestly, I am itching to get to Idaho because I feel like life is really going to start once we get there. But life is happening right now and I don’t want to miss divine moments because I am preoccupied with future plans.

Nothing happens next. Everything happens now.

The only place I can be is right here, right now, and regardless of what I am doing, it has immeasurable, eternal worth if I bring God into the experience. Instead of occupying my mind or getting busy, I can view even menial tasks as part of a much larger story, a story that I see unfolding but don’t know what is on the next page or how it ends. That’s exciting. That’s trailblazing!