Adventurous Routine

Routine stabilizes yet bores me. Adventure thrills me but can also wreak havoc on my focus. I not only have to balance the two; I have to blend them. Like this morning.

I'm a walker. I try to walk every day, usually around eight miles. Some days are more, some are less, and some days I don't fit it in at all, but the general routine is to walk first thing in the morning. I love the sights and sounds of the morning. The freshness inspires me. And when I walk in the morning, I don't have the pressure of "fitting it in" as my day gets busy.

In addition the routine of when I walk, I'm consistent in where I walk. I live in a small town, and there aren't many options to walk as far as I do. I skirt the town and create loops to add miles. I walk with a focus: I push myself physically, but I relax my mind. My walking time is one of the most inspiring and uplifting times of my day. (And I've decided it's a good thing that I haven't figured out how to write while I walk. Even though I'd likely be creative, I'd then squeeze work into yet another block of my day!)

When and where are you most inspired and uplifted on a regular basis?

This morning when I set out I knew God was telling me to step outside my routine and be adventurous. Walk a different path. I know all the roads around town, so there aren't "new" roads, but there are definitely paths that take me out of my routine. And I knew it wasn't about the path I took. I was supposed to listen for fresh thoughts. New challenges. God knew what was in store for me today and wanted to pour into me a fresh perspective.

For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. - Isaiah 43:19 (NLT)

In the midst of your routine, seek adventure. Drive a different route to and from work. Fold your towels in a new way. Sit in different chairs at the dinner table. Your adventure doesn't have to be drastic...just enough of a twist within your routine to open your ears and eyes to what God is trying to say to you. Perhaps you're so focused on your routine, you're taking God for granted.