why the middle of nowhere is better than point A to B

I actually like getting lost. I love detours. I am a fan of wrong turns and U-turns and it's my turn to decipher the map. I like it because life, to me, is all about good stories. And good stories are seldom found on smooth rides from point A to point B. Granted, good conversations can come about in those times--but really, why not get lost and have a longer talk?

It's not just about travel, though. It's about all of life's day to day occurrences. If we approach life without our expectations set in stone, without an obsessive need for efficiency and smooth sailing, the best things in life will often show up when circumstances go amiss. That place of not-quite-how-I-planned-it is where most of my best memories lie.

...Like the time Karen and I dropped Brent's football down a storm drain and had a serious adventure getting it back out (see earlier post).

Or when the plunger didn't quite work, and our bathroom flooded...

(we both agreed this was the best part of our week).

Or how about when Carrie and I took a bit of a wrong turn while biking in Moab, and got to discover what it's like to mountain bike at night, without head lamps (photo is as the sun sets on our farthest point from the trailhead)

Or perhaps the time when our nice little ride around a reservoir became a forever-long, frozen toed, "please just get me home" opportunity for laughter. Almost as good as starting out for a nice fall hike up Pikes Peak, only to face freezing winds, slow going, and a boarded up building at the summit.

The list goes on and on. The hospital visit in Argentina that brought together a less-than-united mission team. The wrong turn while backpacking that got us so lost we had to spend an extra night out in the wilderness. The attempt to clear out a drain in the sink using a clothes hanger, only to hear a little pop and watch water pour forth from the newly punctured pipe. The two hour "where are we?" drive that made us just late enough to be in the right place, at the right time to share the gospel with a troubled teen.

Things go wrong...a lot. When I have the wrong perspective, I complain...a lot. But I think God meant for us to enjoy the fumbles and foibles in life and in each other. Who knows? Abundant life just may be waiting for us one wrong turn off our nicely planned trip from A to B.