I am not a particularly spontaneous person, much to the chagrin of my Enneagram Type 7 husband. I much prefer to plan, generally a few weeks out in advance, and if I’m feeling a bit reckless, maybe plan for a specific evening to “do something unplanned” (does that count?).
Not only does this often make life with two small children a bit frustrating at times, as their mood swings and bowel movements do not always cooperate with “the plan,” but it also makes for a life where adventure does not come easy. When I fill my schedule with lunch dates and house projects, I’m not often flexible for spur of the moment opportunities that might prompt an exciting venture into the unknown. I can find myself living a fairly quiet, controlled life, which generally suits me just fine.
It does, however, make it difficult to write a blog post about Adventuring.
I have had numerous thrilling experiences throughout my life--while traveling, raising babies, and ministering on city streets; but what I am seeking in this season is how to see adventure in the mundane. Can quiet self-reflection and faithfulness in the small things provide experience that still falls within the category of adventure?
I turned 30 this year, and in honor of transitioning into a new decade, I have committed myself to increased understanding about myself and the way I navigate this world. Though it has been mostly quiet work, interwoven throughout the menial tasks of my work life and home life, it has most certainly been an adventure of discovery and insight. Just as God has handcrafted masterpieces of mountain peaks and endless waves for me to explore in nature, he has intricately woven me together in my mother’s womb. There are endless caverns and meadows and mountaintops within our own internal selves, that he has created within us--begging to be explored.
When meeting with my spiritual director recently, God used her to confirm to me that this work of earnest self-discovery is not only worthwhile, but functions as a form of worship and a spiritual practice. Intentionally seeking out how God created me to engage with others, and how he wired me to uniquely interact with him is a sacred way to honor him and his work in me.
As I plan out our week of grocery trips, daycare and house cleaning, I can be aware of the activity happening within me. I can tune into how my mind makes sense of what is around me and how my heart is pulled and I can see God’s handiwork within each small detail. There is an adventure to be had in the quiet spaces, beneath the surface, and God is inviting us to enter in.
Psalm 139:1-16
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
About the Author
Britni is a quiet but fearless spirit who is earnestly seeking the beauty of the redemption that Jesus has personally determined for her life. Committed to the truth that listening breeds understanding and understanding results in compassion, she clings to the power of life’s stories. She has embarked on the venture of discovering her own story and lending an ear to the stories lived out in others and savors the trace of Jesus that is woven throughout them all. Currently, that journey has landed her in a balancing act between the role of wife, momma, and a mental health Care Coordinator.