The Tree House

Leslie, Travis and my niece, Alex (all adults, I might add) just moved into a new, stunning home. It's a dream home with everything a growing family will ever need or desire. And their bedrooms have the most gorgeous views.

Last night the three of them grabbed sleeping bags, climbed into the tree house and camped for the evening. Why I ask? Why? One hundred yards from their comfortable home yet they chose the hard floor and the damp, cold air!

To be honest, I just don't get the whole camping thing. And it's not because I don't love the outdoors. Nobody, and I mean nobody, loves the outside more than I do. You will find me outdoors almost every single day - reading, walking down to the creek, gardening. Yes, I would rather weed any day than work inside. But I still don't get the camping! Why choose sleeping outside at night with critters moving around that you can't see? Why choose sleeping on the hard ground when you have a soft, comfortable bed? And need I mention the accessibility to indoor plumbing? There are people living on the street who would trade sleeping spots any night of the week.

Possible answers: adventure ... because I can ... for the experience ... to say I did it ... it's fun...the adrenaline rush ... the taste of freedom! How may things have we chosen to do for these reasons when realistically, they did not make sense? Entire industries have been created for these reasons. Bungee jumping, leaping out of planes, skiing down a mountain as fast as you can (which has been a favorite sport of mine!)... Really, do you see any logic in risk?

Why do we crave adventure? Why do we have this desire to do the unexpected? Why do we want to go where no man has ever ventured? Why do we often feel as though our lives need more excitement? Why does the beauty, creativity and majesty that surround us become mundane and boring?

As usual, lots of questions, no perfect answers. Perhaps we were created to live our lives with "oohs" and "aahs" and we just forget to look around us with fresh, open eyes. Perhaps we have this built-in desire because our eternal life with Christ is meant to be filled with adventure and excitement. Or could there sometimes be something ugly within us - a portion of us that is never content, that wants more, that wants attention, that finds our worth in what others think of us. Actually I prefer to think that we were created for adventure.  And as in all things good, humans can distort with wrong motives.

Back to this idea of sleeping in a tree house... it could be a fun adventure for an evening but I think I will pass. You will find me under my down comforter!