A common occurrence for the Price family, especially during the dog days of summer, is to load up the ‘ole RV and hit the road towards our next adventure. I was fortunate enough to grow up with parents who loved to camp, and I spent many of my school breaks, both summer and winter, crammed into our “home on wheels,” off to places unknown. Most of the time we had no more of a plan than a general direction and an approximate group of states to navigate. Figuring it out along the way was always part of the fun.
I am thrilled that my wife Lara and son Zack share my enthusiasm for camping and feel blessed that we have a schedule that allows for short trips on a regular basis, and longer trips on occasion. Given my experience and passion for the activity, I have self-proclaimed myself as having a “Black-belt in camping”. I thoroughly enjoy planning for the unexpected and routinely over-pack in an effort to have just the right “thing” for just the right occasion. Around the campsite, Lara will often ask, “Hey, you didn’t happen to bring a ______, did you?” And Boom! Out from a hidden compartment, underneath the camper, I pull out the very thing we needed. Thus preserving my status as a “Camping Ninja” once again.
My obsession, I mean my proclivity, to always be prepared in a myriad of situations, lends itself to carrying around a lot of extra stuff. Many of the items, which could best be classified as “just in case,” leave me feeling prepared, but also much like a pack-rat. I have taken it as a personal, ongoing challenge however to refine my packing list to bring balance between the old Cub Scout Motto of “Be Prepared”, and a minimalists view of “Keep It Simple Stupid”.
Although I’m confident that God likes that I enjoy being prepared when we go camping, in an effort to provide the best experience possible for my family, I think that in the spiritual realm he sees things a little differently. One of God’s greatest desires is for us to pursue intimacy with him, and often times he initiates that by giving us just enough information so that we must rely on him for each additional step.
Just as he promised Joshua and the Israelites, in Deuteronomy 31:8, to go before them and to be with them, I believe he also extends that assurance to us. And because he can always say, “been there, done that,” we can be confident that he is always fully prepared to give us everything we need at exactly the perfect time.
My hope and prayer is that each of us would daily seek his face and grow in our love and trust of our Heavenly Father, knowing that he has an amazing adventure planned out for us!
~ Pastor Mitch