The God Adventure By P. Diane Buie Christian singer and songwriter, Steven Curtis Chapman has many amazing songs that reach into our hearts and souls to leave us with a fantastic impression of who God is. One such song, The Great Adventure, was quite popular when I was in college around 1992. I can still recall how that song made me feel as a believer in Jesus Christ. Steven’s song propelled me into a joyous relationship with God that helped me continue to study in college and then into graduate school. His lyrics were fun to sing yet, they held a truth that still comes back to me today—many, many years later. That song gave me such a feeling of hope that my future with God could be as incredible as Steven sang it would be; if I kept up my faith walk. Steven’s imagery in his song is helpful too when I reflect on how to describe the many adventures I have had with God over the years. Steven uses word pictures of cowboys (or cowgirls) riding off towards the west where the glorious unknown awaits. Can’t you sense the anticipation of God and what He wants to do in your life when you sing along with Steven? I can! When I think about my own spiritual journey with God, I equate it to a roller coaster ride in a theme park. The tracks on the ride go up, down, sideways, under and over, with fast speeds that make you scream, and then, some speeds are like a merry-go-round where you can actually catch your breath before the ride makes another crazy turn. The funny thing is; I don’t even ride roller coasters! (You are laughing aren’t you?) The screams of people and the speed of those rides are enough to make me keep my feet on the ground. Yet, that is one analogy of my life of faith with God. 44 | M AG A Z I N E N A M E PAGE 3 43
I decided to become a Christian at age 16 during a youth retreat in the Tennessee hills and mountains where my family and I resided at the time. I had felt convicted to make a decision about whom God and Jesus were going to be in my life in days before this. I could see the difference Jesus made in the lives of those around me–parents, friends at school, Sunday School teachers, and many more. Yet, making that one simple decision decided the way my life would go from that point on. I would live a life that honored and reflected God and His Word. This decision to be like Christ became the essence of whom I would become in my future and it would guide my choice of colleges, friends, jobs, and opportunities to travel on mission trips as these become available to me. It is tremendous how one choice makes your whole life change and gives you purpose and joy for living. God is like that though—when we choose Him, He gives us the ride of our lives! Since that day I became a Christian, my life has held many adventures with God. There are so many, I could probably write a book! Seriously though, I could cite examples where adventures with God changed my life as well as others. One God adventure helped me overcome my fear of heights as I rode in an airplane for the first time to visit Africa and its people on a mission trip while in seminary. Did I mention this was an international flight that would take us over the ocean and into England before we landed in Kenya? God has a sense of humor, right?
