Wild at Heart

As a child I did not have a huge sense of adventure.

I was your stereotypical girl. I liked playing inside, preferably with barbies. I did enjoy a good round with play-doh…I had one of those good moms who allowed play-doh in the house. She was never concerned about what was stuck in the carpet or how big of a mess we made…as long as we cleaned it up. Cleaning it up was usually a challenge, but I don’t recall ever finding dried play-doh in the carpet years later so I assume we did a good job.

I liked barbies, books, make up, dolls. I didn’t like playing outside a whole lot except for when I was racing (and beating) my older cousin at bike races or something else equally outdoorsyish. (Yes, I did just make that up. Call Webster.) 

The most memories I have of being outside are on a trampoline, on a bike, pretending to play basketball, catching fireflies, in a go-kart, or at the beach. Something where I was being entertained.

Looking back I think my sense of adventure was stifled somewhere along the way. I don’t blame anyone for this, it just was…as far as I can remember.

My younger sister played sports and was good at them–which is in contrast to me, who played sports…but was not good at them. This was despite my father’s best attempts at tapping in to my athletic bone.

It wasn’t until I began teaching Zumba that I developed an appreciation for sweat. Sweating to me was gross. Let’s get real, who sweats? That’s stinky. Those were pretty much my feelings on sweat until a few years ago. Now. Now, I love to sweat…when situationally appropriate. 

I have noticed this yearning in the past few months to be outside. Not to simply be outside reading a book or swimming, or attempting to get a tan (something that simply never goes over well with my red-headed-fair-skinned self). I have wanted to ride bikes, play in the water, go tubing, go skiing, go rafting, and hiking, Sitting at home is no longer enough for me. There is a thirst for something more. Something deeper. 

When we went white water rafting a couple of weeks ago…something in my soul breathed deep and said “Yes! Yes. This is exactly what I was looking for.”

Where did this sense of adventure come from? How did I develop this wild heart? 

I’m really not sure, but I know that it is present and growing.

And I like it.

After six days and forty hours of classes in one week, I could no longer take it. I had to move.

So I did…last night the boy and I took bikes out to a park near our house and rode, and rode, and rode…until he told me he could no longer take the annoying bike he was on that would no longer shift gears…and then we came home.

It was perfect. I had so much fun. Nature is one of the ways I realize how incredibly good God is. Did you see that bright blue sky spotted with clouds? He didn’t have to do that. 

As the wind blew straight into my face and flipped my hair around I couldn’t help but be thankful for everything I am blessed with daily. 

After a weekend filled with talk of Sexual Addictions my heart needed replenishing. And replenish he did.