One of my earliest childhood memories is of playing in my own sandpit. I used to spend hours playing in the sand, shifting it around with my toy trucks, building sandcastles, mountains and tunnels for my toys. My dad made it for me in our backyard and I got a lot of joy out of it as a boy. When I reminisce on it now, it also makes me think about the beginning of creation. Recorded right back in the first chapter of the first book in the bible.
“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.””
(Genesis chapter 1, verses 27-28)
It amazes me to think that Adam and Eve were not only made in the very image and likeness of God but also given as it were, life and creation as their own sandbox, much like my dad made for me; to explore, to enjoy, to create and to have dominion over.
Creation reveals the Creator
God made this wild and amazing world, full of diverse terrain, plants and creatures and yet amazingly it moves in perfect order and harmony like an orchestra, made up of many different instruments, all operating independently but in perfect harmony. Together they produce something truly beautiful.
When I hike and explore and soak in the beauty of God’s creation, I feel this awe inspiring wonder that speaks volumes to me, not only about myself, but also of our unseen Creator. The One who is wild and untamed yet operates in perfect order and harmony.
I believe that in each of us, from little up, is a deep seated desire to explore, to create and enjoy the wonders of life and creation. That deep well of divine life inside of us spills forth from each individual in various forms, whether it’s through music or the arts, science or exploration, it can be expressed in many different and glorious ways. The truth is that we were designed by ‘Greatness’ and for greatness. We were born for adventure in its many forms and expressions.
This is your story
But just like any good story we find that every hero is confronted with the unknown, the wild, life outside the garden. At times heroes face obstacles, challenges and adversity. Like David describes in the twenty-third Psalm, even the paths of righteousness take us not only through green pastures and still waters, but can also through the valley of the shadow of death and into the presence of our enemies. For those of us who’ve been on planet earth for any considerable time, I’m sure that we can relate to this on different levels. Whether you’ve undertaken an expedition into the literal wilderness, climbing mountains and fording streams or you’ve faced mountains and giants metaphorically, life doesn’t always look like smooth sailing.
When it comes to a story, a film or even a song, every compelling adventure has its twists and turns, its ups and downs, its green pastures and also its dark valleys. As consumers we know that a story that is flat and boring strikes no chord inside of us. The reason is because just as life outside the garden is as wild and mysterious as it is exciting so too is the One who created it and those made in His image.
You weren’t designed for boring
The truth is that there’s no treasure worth seeking that doesn’t lay on the other side of the unknown. Don’t be afraid of what seems “wild”; you were in fact born for it. Don’t let fear of the unknown keep you away from your destiny. Whether it be a literal mountain or a metaphorical one, this is your story, life is your adventure and with God’s help, nothing is impossible.
Josh Wood is an ordained minister and has been teaching and preaching around the world for the last ten years. He lives on the Gold Coast, Australia with his beautiful wife and their two beloved sons. He is also an avid fiction writer working on the first draft of a Christian fantasy novel, having also previously worked in the film and TV industries. You can check out his website woodfamilyministries.com for information about his ministry.