Go Beyond

Walking into my garage can be hazardous, not because there is anything dangerous out there but because that is where I keep all of my outdoor gear. Often all it takes to get me thinking about outdoor adventures is a glance at the gear in my garage — the canoe suspended from the ceiling or my mountain bike or my backpacking and camping gear. One look at this stuff and I can hear the call of the wild as clearly as Buck did in Jack London’s novel by the same name.

While I certainly enjoy big adventures like the Texas Water Safari or hiking the Lone Star Hiking Trail through the Sam Houston National Forest, I also enjoy the not so big adventures. These shorter and affordable adventures are the bread and butter that feed my hunger for getting outdoors. Whether it’s a quick trip to a nearby state park or to the bayou trails in my neighborhood, these little adventures are important and always fun, especially when shared with family and friends.
I don’t have a bucket list in the sense that I will be disappointed if I miss the opportunity to do certain things. But I do have a list of outdoor adventures that I would love to do — and perhaps one day may do. I want to do a prayer walk across Bangladesh, border to border. I would love to hike the Inca Trail in Peru, climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, and retrace the route of the Bataan Death March in the Philippines. In the next year I want to bike the Caprock Canyons Trailway in the Texas Panhandle and ride The Other Side of Nowhere Trail at Big Bend Ranch State Park. These are a few of many outdoor adventures that I would love to do.

I know that it’s not likely I will do all of the things I want to do, and that’s ok. I think one of the most important things that any of us can and should do is to make sure that our dreams outnumber our memories, that there is always something we are striving toward. Reminiscing about past adventures is ok, but I prefer to dream about the next adventures. I know that at my age I can never be the youngest or the fastest to complete some challenges and that’s ok with me. The important thing for me is to at least try. As I hear the call of the wild, I try to keep a few things in mind.

First, never stop dreaming. The quickest way to get old is by having more memories than dreams. You may not be as quick as you used to be, but as long as you have breath, keep striving forward. In the words of David Livingstone, “I will go anywhere, provided it be forward.”

Second, don’t die with regrets. It is better to have tried to accomplish great things and failed than to never have tried at all. Again, one of my favorite Livingstone quotes sums it up: “If you have men who will only come if they know there is a good road, I don’t want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all.”

Third, be willing to forsake everything comfortable and familiar in order to pursue your dreams. Those who leave the security of the harbor must do so without guarantees that they will arrive at their destination. Life does not come with guarantees.

Finally, don’t forget that God is always in search of adventurous individuals — those willing to risk it all to advance His purposes and declare His glory among the nations. Make yourself available and live adventurously for Him. Heed the call of the wild and go beyond.