I now walk into the wild.

So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.
-Chris McCandless, April 1992

This week I read Into the Wild. To put this into perspective- for me to sit down and read a book cover to cover in under a year is something I probably haven't done since picking up the final installment of Harry Potter. I'm not joking.

Though bittersweet and ultimately tragic, something in my spirit connected with the tale of this idealistic young wanderer. While I couldn't necessarily advocate the means of his adventure, the poetic motives behind it I could certainly appreciate. Why are we so reluctant to construct a life of happiness for ourselves?

The first step on this path, I believe, is to identify what makes us happy, content, euphoric even.  It sounds easy enough at first, but again, why has more of the population not yet caught on to this train of thought?  We are all so busy running around, existing, we seldom take in the pleasure of mere living.  Of living with purpose.

What is my purpose?  

I have absolutely no idea.  But I am interested enough to invest the time to try and figure it out.  And so, like Chris McCandless over a decade ago, I too walk "into the wild."

Living On Mission

So we've been spending a lot of time at church lately focusing on the concept of living "on mission." Essentially what this means is that all Believers have an obligation to share their faith and spread Christ's love. Not all of us, however, all called to quit our jobs, give up our worldly possessions, abandon our friends and family, and move to a remote region of Africa to live out the remainder of life as a missionary among the tribes. There is a much wider spectrum on which we can fulfill Christ's Great Commission.

Living on mission can be simply hosting a backyard bbq for the neighbors on your block, taking a work colleague out for a drink after a long day at the office, or striking up a friendly conversation with a complete stranger at a coffee shop. Meet others on their home turf, and take some time to discover who they are as a person. By making these simple gestures a part of your lifestyle, you are opening the door to endless opportunities to witness to your neighbors through your words, faith, and actions.

As for myself, however, I recognize that despite my best intentions, living as a daily disciple often takes a backseat to all of life's little mini-dramas. I can always find an excuse to put off the ultimate task- i'm too tired, too busy, too stressed. So what would happen if I were to push all these distractions to the wayside and make living the life of a missionary my primary purpose?...That's what I'm about to find out.