When was the last time you were invited into an adventure? Within limits, I consider myself a fairly adventurous person and my version of a go bag is stocked and ready. Not so much as “an emergency preparedness bag designed to provide survival essentials for short-term disasters,” but as an I’m up for a road trip or a flight to an unknown destination at a moment’s notice. Since the conclusion of Racing to Roam in June 2021, my travel bag is gathering a bit of dust and my wanderlust is desperate for a new set of achievable goals, so I’m entertaining new ideas until one sticks and becomes a new item on my Bucket List. But today I hope to address a somewhat different type of adventure, one that begins with the invitation to “Follow Me.”

For those of us who are acquainted with the story behind the post of The Three, The Twelve, and the Others, and Jesus’ approach to gathering His disciples, we are somewhat familiar with His use of the phrase “Follow Me.” It was this simple invitation that He offered to James and John in Matthew 4 and they ”immediately” left their boat (v. 22). Had this task-oriented individual been standing in the boat that day, Jesus would likely have been the recipient of an answer more akin to “Yes, but…Yes, I’m up for an adventure, just let me go grab my bag. Oh, and make sure someone will mow the yard while I’m away. Do you happen to have a map? What is our arrival time? Mom will want me to text.”

Now, it’s in moments like this, when reading Scripture, that I am truly grateful for the creativity and passion of artists like Dallas Jenkins and Jonathan Roumie. Because in this instance, the characters from The Chosen leap into my mind and help me visualize Jesus in a way that is so vivid. With a heavy sigh and a slight grin, Jesus would look intensely at me with those chocolate-brown eyes. Without uttering another word, He’d reach out His hand with a calmness unfathomable to me, gently take my fingers into his calloused hand, and take a step forward, moving me away from the boat. Walking just enough ahead, perhaps just a half of a step, He’d guide us, staying close enough to be both in-front of and beside me. Securely Holding Hands, without vocalizing another word, His invitation to Follow Me would urge me into an unknown adventure. That’s how I picture Christ’s invitation both to you and to me.

Just like the disciples, sometimes God asks us to trust Him when we can’t see Beyond the Headlights, whether it’s heading to a far-off place to just serving right where we are. Amy Pye offers, “Whether staying or going, we can all look to Him expectantly to surprise us with wonderful experiences and opportunities to live for Him in ways we might never have dreamed possible. Perhaps he’s calling you to Belize or India, but I think it’s easy to overlook His invitation to Follow Me in Ordinary Time, when there are No Miracles to the story, just the encouragement to “read this book, I have something to teach you.” Or perhaps the whisper says, “Give that presentation, you have something to offer…Attend that conference, you will feel My presence…Write that note, pray for her…That’s following me!” And, for me, when I accept that invitation into something ordinary, He offers a smile and a personal God Wink that reminds me of His continual presence whether I Stay or Go.

In Our Daily Bread, Pye offers this prayer which captures the heart of choosing to Follow: “Loving Jesus, You call people to follow you in unique and amazing ways. Teach me to discern Your voice and respond to Your call.” That is my deepest and sincerest hope for you today. It’s not easy and when you’ve been in a season of Wintering, the trek is even harder, but I have faith that the Lord is inviting you into an amazing adventure, will you take His hand?

What adventure might God be calling you into with His invitation to Follow Me? Would you consider sharing in the comments below?

References:

Pelican Products, Inc. (2020, June 15). Go bag checklist: What to pack in your go bag. Pelican Products, Inc. Retrieved from https://www.pelican.com/us/en/discover/pelican-flyer/post/go-bag-checklist–what-to-pack-in-your-go-bag/

Pye, A.L. (2023, September 8). The God of Surprises. Our Daily Bread. Retrieved from https://odb.org/2023/09/08/the-god-of-surprises 

Wixom, C. (2021, May 26). ‘The Chosen’ resonates with believers who see authenticity in its characters. The Daily Universe. Retrieved from https://universe.byu.edu/2021/05/26/the-chosen-tv-show-resonates-with-believers/