Would you consider yourself a brave person? That’s how I usually think of myself.  But sometimes, when I’m invited to do something challenging, I’ve been known to make excuses and try to find a way out. Let me tell you how I learned the importance of saying yes to the call to adventure.

A few years ago my husband Scott, who is a pastor and author of parenting books, was invited to speak in Kenya, East Africa. I didn’t even take time to consider going along. No way did I want to travel halfway around the world to Africa! But I didn’t want to sound too close-minded so I said, “Oh honey, I think the children are too young for us both to go.” So Scott took our oldest son Josh, who was eight at the time, and they had an amazing trip.

Two years later Scott was invited back to Kenya. I sort of considered going along, and I even felt a twinge of guilt when I said, “I just don’t think it would be wise for me to go with my health issues.” So Scott went without me, again, and had another amazing trip.

But then, a wonderful Kenyan pastor and his wife came to stay with us. They became dear friends, and my fears of traveling to Kenya began to fade. An opportunity arose for our family to spend a year in Kenya. We talked about it and considered what a great learning experience this would be for us and our five children who were ages 8 – 15 at the time. I finally said yes, and that was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

How do we find the courage to say yes to the call of adventure when our knees and hearts are quivering? Here are three important truths I learned that have continued to help me be brave. #1. Wherever I go, God goes with me. #2. I can count on Him and His help and strength when I face challenges. #3. The greatest rewards come to us through facing the greatest challenges.

Saying yes to the call of adventure and spending that year in Kenya changed the course of our lives. We fell in love with the Kenyan people and learned much more than we taught. Our children’s hearts were stirred with compassion and a desire to love and serve others. My desire to write fiction was born that year, and I’ve gone on to write twenty-eight novels and novellas since then.

Maybe you haven’t been invited to spend a year in Kenya, but I imagine you have faced challenging choices that could take you out of your comfort zone, like changing careers, sending out that book you’ve written, or moving to a new city. I encourage you to say yes to the call of adventure and see where the journey takes you!

Blessings and Happy Reading . . . Want to see some of those novels I’ve written? Just follow this link

Carrie