If life is a highway...

"Oh, may the Lord find in my heart today a highway made ready by His grace, one upon which He may make triumphal progress to the very limits of my soul from the beginning of this year to its very last day!"  --Charles Spurgeon

Happy New Year. I say this to you with a certain sigh of relief. I'm not sure even I know all the reasons I'm glad to close the door on 2010, but one thing is sure, I closed the door and locked it. And while I may use the key to open that door every now and then and peek inside--because there are some wonderful memories that I plan to revisit--I have no intention of walking in and letting the door close behind me. It is gone and gratefully, I get to take the best parts of it with me into 2011. And that is where I plan to take up residence--right in the middle of the present.

I have great hopes for this year. And I have already put into motion plans to make some of those hopes actual reality. And I'm excited. But also a little nervous. But isn't that how we should feel when we embark on a new adventure? And that is how I choose to view 2011: as a Great Adventure. I plan to walk a straight path this year, but take the road less traveled as often as possible. And I already know that road is a lot more fun to travel when the journey is shared. And the rocky parts, well, they are just a little less bumpy when one gets to cushion and be cushioned.  And when the road is no longer visible, I know I always have a Compass to guide me.

I'm going to make a sincere effort to pack lightly and bring only the necessities. I will make a better effort to leave no trace, but take lots of pictures. I will sing songs by the light of a fire, and tell stories under a canopy of stars. I will turn my face to the sun and walk hand-in-hand on the beach with the people I love most. I will meet friends disguised as strangers. And I may find a few bad guys hiding behind friendly faces, but doesn't every great adventure need a few bad guys?

I may use my GPS sometimes, but I'll remember the value of being able to read a map.  I will look ahead, but try to remember to always look around. I won't mind that I'm sleeping in a tent most of the time because I know there's another great adventure where there is already a mansion prepared for me. I'll let myself grow hungry because that is when everything tastes better. I'll let myself thirst but will not forget to drink from The Living Water. I will jump so I can be caught. I will consider my trecks through the valleys (and there will be at least a few valleys--there are always valleys) a blessing no different from my experiences on top of the tallest mountains.

More than anything on this Great Adventure, I plan to laugh. Because that is just my favorite. And I have already cried.  And there will be plenty of time for more of that, too.  And of course, I will love...The Great Adventure. The company I'm already keeping. The struggles and the victories alike. The opportunity to travel alone when I need to. Lighted windows and loving arms when I grow weary. The blessing to walk one more year, a pilgrim who welcomes progress.