My Grassland Adventure

This has been a very busy week for me as far as schoolwork goes. I had a major (and very difficult) paper due today, and a bunch of other little projects that needed to be done.

In an effort to cling to our sanity, Amanda (who also has a lot due this week) and I decided to take a little adventure. Earlier in the summer we tried to tackle this forest preserve-type area where the sign at the entrance always said "Closed"...but there were these mosquitoes that went straight for our faces (it was freaky how that was the only area they went for), and so we postponed our adventure.

But on Monday, we decided that it was time to explore this uncharted terrain. It turns out that it wasn't actually a forest preserve (though there were a bunch of trees at the entrance and in some of the surrounding area), but a grassland preserve. I didn't even know there was such a thing...especially out in my area! Bundled up in our scarves and mittens, Amanda and I tackled a couple miles of thorns and swampy grass, saw some deer, got our jeans soaked up to our knees (it was rainy that day), and had a much-need conversation about Advent, longing, and life. It was just what both of us needed.

Spontaneity, adventure, exposing our hearts, and getting wet and dirty . . . I think these are the things we live for, but easily miss out on when we get too wrapped up in the busyness and "urgent" needs of our day-to-day lives.

My grassland adventure reminded me of what it means to live. And if Christ is the aroma of life (2 Corinthians 2ish), I'm pretty sure he smells at least a bit like the Orland Park grassland preserves.