Discovering Adventure

 

Summer is for fun and relaxation, so with the days of summer quickly streaking by, we decided that we needed to practice some carpe diem and make the most of every opportunity we could catch.  So when the rain let up (it's been an unusually wet summer) we packed up to spend the day at the beach.  The weather was perfect and the beach was lightly attended (it helps that we went after school started in the public sector).  

We had a great time catching sun with great tunes, food (we packed a lunch), metal detecting (we had minimal finds), swimming, castle building, and general sand play.  

But time flies when you're having fun and Hannah was beginning to look red so I announced that it was time to pack up and head home.  With all of our belongings in the car, we began to take turns getting out of our wet clothes before the drive home.  While I was waiting on the kids, that's when the real adventure began.  Now, generally speaking, when someone excitedly recruits for an adventure, the reference is in regard to great fun.  What Connor aptly discovered in his dictionary perusing is that adventure has less to do with fun and more to do with danger. 

ad·ven·ture

/adˈven(t)SHər,ədˈven(t)SHər/

Learn to pronounce

noun

1. an unusual and exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity.

With that definition in mind, the kids determined that our plain beach day turned into a true adventure when an elderly lady haphazardly drove (and I use the term drove lightly) into the parking lot and was obviously distressed.  The next two and a half hours found us in the parking lot under the blazing sun, assisting this woman (and her dog) in receiving medical help. 

I must say, the kids were stellar in patience and pitching in where they could while I rounded up adequate assistance from the police and  EMTs as well as a couple of locals (they graciously chose to foster the dog while it's owner spent time in the hospital).  Thankfully, Miss Francis was attended to just in time (she had been living in her car and was not taking her meds for days so she was in rather serious condition by the time we met her) and though I received a sun burn unlike I've ever experienced, I would not have passed up the opportunity to be the hands and feet of God to her.  We will not soon forget Miss Francis though we'll probably never know any more of her story that what we took part in that day.  

God appointments.  They always seem to surprise me, and they always put tears in my eyes--happy and/or sad.  How great He is to let us be part of His work.  Though we probably won't make it back to the beach this summer, we are happy to have had that day kick off our adventures.  :-)