A Change of Plans

"Adventure is just bad planning."

-Roald Amundsen

Well..at least it was this time anyway. We had every intention to get up bright and early Saturday morning, bundle up and hit the trail. We talked about it all week. We made the plan and Friday afternoon told our boys we would not be home when they woke in the morning. 

And then, Friday night happened. For two weeks we have had dinner plans on the books with some new friends. This couple shares a very similar story to ours and while the world has its fair share of people who have divorced and remarried each other, there is just a beauty to finding friends who share an understanding of what you have been through without ever having to say a word. 

Somehow our easy, laid-back Friday night dinner with them led to a once in a lifetime opportunity for J to take a Ferrari for a spin and a late night full of the best discussion, inspiration, and encouragement. Before we knew it, 2:00 in the morning snuck up on us when we finally crawled into bed. 

We reasoned that five hours of sleep should be enough to keep us on schedule for our hike and were proven wrong when our eyes slowly opened at closer to seven hours later. The late start combined with the list of other obligations on our Saturday schedule and the rain and cold melded together and forced us to compromise. 

So instead of our planned three-hour hike, we opted for an hour walk at one of our favorite local parks. It didn't take long for us to realize that our hike may not have worked regardless as the rain slowly moved in and we came to the understanding we are not truly equipped for hiking in rainy weather. 

But, all was not lost. 

We still managed to get some time together to connect and plan for what lies ahead. Our conversation included beginning a list of things we may need to make sure we have before our trip in July (including rain gear) and then spending an even greater portion of our time together reflecting on the incredible things God sent our way this past year and the even more amazing people He brought alongside us to do life with. And it occurred to us that part of the reason we are able to dream big again is due to the fact that He has surrounded us with friends who show us what it looks like to dream even bigger. Daily, they encourage and inspire us to live up to who God calls us to be as they live their lives out loud for Him. They have shown us great compassion and love as we have struggled through some of our toughest days and then reminded us when it was time to get back up and do something with ourselves. They sat beside us at rest, and stood up and fought alongside us when it was necessary. 

Because of God's amazing love for us and His propensity to use community as His conduit for care (thank you Pastor Elizabeth for a phrase that has been cemented in my soul), we have discovered that the greatest strength, the greatest gifts, and the greatest love comes not in the form of having everything we want out of life, but having the very best people by our side. We've learned how to stop fighting for things we don't need and let go so that we can grab hold of His very best for us, learning that real faith is built on trusting God's undeniable, immovable love for us. 

And even if we don't have everything we think we need right now, we can trust that He will provide his very best for us when the time is right as long as we partner with Him in dreaming and planning our adventures. We don't have to fight and tug and push and pull to provide for ourselves (like that poor squirrel we watched trying to drag a plastic bag out of the tree). We can just continue to walk forward, lean into him, and do what He is calling us to do and we will get what we need when the timing is right....including the proper gear for hiking in wet weather. 

So, no, we did not get in the hike we wanted, but we did get in the walk we needed. It was exactly as it should have been.

And on a final note, if you have any advice for two rookie hikers who plan on hitting the Colorado trails in July, please, please, please share what your hiking must-haves are in the comments (ie: trustworthy brands of shoes/boots and rain gear, etc...). 

We would love to know!