I have had one of the best Father's Day celebrations I have ever had. Seventeen years into fatherhood, it seems to be easier to travel with my children. They are a delight, except when fighting with one another, to travel with, walk next to, experience life together. Our trip today to the beautiful King's Canyon National Park was awesome, not just because the scenery and weather were perfect, but because I enjoyed the company of my kids. Fatherhood never felt so good!
But there was another moment, later in the day, that not only took me back to pre-fatherhood days, but also made me hungry for adventure and vision for the future.
Pastor Dave and his son, James, joined us for dinner tonight. They are living the single life with Dave's wife, Christy, on a mission trip to Thailand for two weeks. After a terrific dinner we retired outside to the pool and began to talk about life experiences we had in the past.
I relived, in detail comic and otherwise, train travel across India, a semi-truck trip from Denver, Colorado to El Salvador, bus trips througout Europe and numerous other adventures. I mentioned to Dave my desire to drive the Khyber Pass between Afghanistan and Pakistan, for the sheer joy of adventure, to which he replied, I can go in August! I laughed, then wondered HOW I could make it a reality.
I sat for a long time outside by the pool, looking up into the night sky and I prayed. I prayed for a star, one star to follow. Bright, clear, OBVIOUS. I NEED obvious. A star that would lead me to new place, new people, new opportunity to share what I have been given. In short, I long to be back in the game of bringing the blessing of a relationship with Christ to those who may never hear that name.
Even now, as I write these words, I remember gazing into the night sky 22 years ago, from the roof of a building in Hyderabad, India, having similar thoughts, uttering in kind prayers. I am a father now, which has changed me in some ways, but in most other ways I am still the same person. I still crave adventure, long for purpose, desire to know my heavenly Father in a way that is unique to me...it's a great dream!
Happy Father's Day.
