Summertime ushers in thoughts of trips and adventures. Our family has already attended a weekend festival, an out-of-town wedding, three camps, a high school reunion, plus taken trips to the beach and to see a friend. All within one month.

I’ve always craved adventure. Some of my earliest memories consist of climbing trees and swinging from the rafters of dad’s shop. I once got my leg stuck on the prong of a chain link fence. My neighbor found me hanging upside down and freed me from my predicament.

I also talked my younger sister into jumping from the roof of our house to a picnic table in the yard. I loved the thrill of it. Her, not so much. She sprained her ankle on that jump. Who knew she had weak ankles!

Adventure comes in different forms

On some days, adventure means getting out of bed and dressing for the day. Or it could simply be a moment of getting out of our comfort zone.

After my husband Matthew died, I tried to make life as normal as possible for our family, even though the family unit didn’t come close to resembling what we once had. I decided the boys and I needed an adventure and planned our first ski trip over Christmas break.

We traveled to New Mexico, with a stop in Oklahoma City to visit family.

It was an adventure alright, beginning with sleet as we left Oklahoma. Then we drove through white-out conditions in Texas, ending up in a small town in New Mexico with one gas station – the only resemblance of snacks in the area.

I spent half the first ski day in a medical tent, experiencing altitude sickness for the first time. The second day wasn’t much better. We got separated and my youngest cried he never wanted to ski again.

But the boys learned to ski and snowboard and we made it home in one piece. It has since become an annual tradition.

Some of our greatest adventures are unplanned

I think David had a sense of adventure too. As a young boy, he tackled a lion and bear. He didn’t know he was going to fight a giant one day, but when the time came, David forged ahead with confidence. He also became an accomplished musician and wrote many songs.

When he brought the Ark of the Lord back home, David sang and danced in the streets. He knew how to live a full life, not letting doubt and fear steal his peace and joy.

Let go and live

Do you need an adventure today? What would your adventure look like? Is it a drive in the countryside or going on a boat ride? Taking your grandchild for a sno-cone or settling down with a good book? Maybe it’s slowing down to watch the sunset or taking that long-anticipated trip.

Can you let go of the stress and strain of your day to live the life you’ve always wanted? There will likely be bumps along the way, but don’t lose heart. The thrill of the journey is worth it in the end.

Meeting my mom and dad at the doctor’s office, I popped the trunk to get the scooter out of the car. A problem stared me in the face. The missing battery. I remembered seeing it that morning charging in their den.

I told mom I’d head to their house, get the battery and return so dad could make his appointment. Opening the carport door, I ran straight to the den to grab the scooter battery and quickly turned to make my way back out to the car. My heart almost stopped beating. Two legs were standing close to the door.

Correction: two prosthetic legs stood close to the door. I breathed a sigh of relief. Why were they in the kitchen? I told mom and dad about my experience when I returned, and we all shared a deep belly laugh.

A new pair had been delivered that morning.

The life of an overcomer

Living more than 50 years with prosthetic legs, my dad is the picture of an overcomer. (Growing up, we called them artificial legs.) When life threw disappointment and pain at him, he bounced back, determined to live his life abundantly. He has inspired countless people along the way. He still teases new friends, especially kids, trying to convince them to hit his leg as hard as they can, and laughs when they realized they’re not real. Yep, he’s all about squeezing as much out of life as he can.

I always wanted to live my life to the fullest as well, and I think I got this drive and my sense of adventure from him.

At 89 he decided he would take his three-wheeler for a spin down the street. (Yes, it is a 1980’s three-wheeler, not the safer, more stable four-wheeler version. I grew up doing wheelies on that now-banned ATV!) His excursion may not sound odd but because of his prosthetic legs and his age, we help him get in and out of the car for every outing.

“Dad,” I asked, “How did you even manage to get up on the three-wheeler?” He replied that he backed up to the seat, pushed his body up and swung one leg over. I think his willpower, along with sheer determination, got him on and off it! My heart races just thinking about it.

Nothing like living life to the fullest, right? He says that when he turns 90, he’ll probably stop doing stuff like that. Thankfully, that’s right around the corner.

The Source of all joy

I think Jesus would have us do the same thing. Maybe not breaking the law but living a life overflowing with joy. After all, The Bible teaches that Jesus is the source of all joy.

Granted, there will be pain and disappointment along the way. Until I lost my husband, I never knew that a heart could physically ache from grief. I didn’t know that I could miss someone with every breath I took.

But in my grief, God reminded me of one of my favorite verses. Odd that it talks about living a full life. Jesus told us that He came so we might have life abundantly. (John 10:10) The first part of that verse tells us that the thief (Satan) comes to steal and kill and destroy. But Jesus wants us to not just live life, but experience life to the full. And we don’t have to do it alone. Jesus is right there, walking beside us if we will let him.

Let’s commit to living the rest of our days – not half alive, but fully alive. Like my dad.