Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Stories - with Kaitlin B. Curtice

Home
Progressive Christian
The Soul Explorer: a summer adventure series

The Soul Explorer: a summer adventure series

Last updated on: May 4, 2016 at 9:28 am by Kaitlin B. Curtice

The Soul Explorer: a summer adventure series 2016-05-04T09:28:28-04:00 Kaitlin B. Curtice

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

“Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold. Faith alone defends. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.” –Helen Keller

When I was young I was afraid of a lot of things.

Water.

Darkness.

Bugs.

Intruders.

But the one thing I looked forward to time after time was the seasons’ change.

Every fall leaf, every winter flake, every spring blossom and summer afternoon reminded me that the world was working the way it was supposed to, that things were being held together for a beautiful purpose, that life was being recreated over and over again around me.

As an adult, a lot of those fears have held tight to me, but slowly and surely I am breaking free from them with the help of my family, who craves constant adventure.

In the face of our fears, it’s not enough to pretend that they aren’t there.

It’s not enough to cover up the scars that come from that fear.

We must do some reversals here, we must find the benevolence that is planted in our lives, where there is actually no room for fear to take root.

For me, it looks like a summer of exploring the beauty of Georgia with all my boys, a summer of stepping into so much newness–

a new position at church as the worship leader;

a new deadline to finish my upcoming book;

a new house to settle into;

the upcoming adventure of homeschooling two toddlers;

and finishing my bachelor’s degree online starting in the fall.

The other day I asked some friends on Facebook to tell me their favorite places to explore here in Georgia, and the list I’d made for our summer went from three places to twenty three.

Everywhere I’m looking these days, I’m being pointed back to the importance of soul work and exploration.

Even the story of Jesus and the four kinds of soil says something about the importance of journey, of honoring every person in every season of life while paying attention to our own journeys.

If I need an afternoon of slinging mud at the Chattahoochee, so be it, if I can break away from my fearful self.

If it is a Saturday morning at the Farmer’s Market downtown, I will go and rest in the presence of a group of people who make their life’s work about growth and life and creation.

One day we will visit the Etowah Indian Mounds an hour’s drive away, and I will remember my own roots, ask them to speak something to me, to teach me something new about my own journey.

And little by little, fear scales away and we are left courageous, adventurous beings.

And in the meantime, my children see their mother grow more bold everyday, and my deepest wish is that they find that soul-boldness themselves, held safe by the goodness of God in a beautiful and often broken world.

It is the way of our children to force us out into the world, isn’t it?

It may take me years to learn, little steps forward and back again, but I do not journey alone.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable,” said Helen Keller.

And if Helen can say that, you and I and the rest of creature-kind certainly can say it too.

May the exploration of our hearts turn us away from fear and toward the light of a new day, a new season, a new reality of Kingdom here in our tiny corner of existence.

Amen.

Summer Adventure Series

Uncategorized

Deepak Chopra

Hellen Keller

Previous Post

April 25, 2016

The New Church Revival

Next Post

May 19, 2016 Mending our Mess & Finding Community: the wildernesses of the churched and unchurched

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Advent 2016 Adventure Community & One Another Contemplation Lent 2016 Lessons Motherhood Native American Heritage Month 2017 Native American Spirituality Politics & Social Justice Prayer Remembrance Seven Gratitudes Uncategorized

Select a Month April 2018 March 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 August 2013 March 2013 February 2013 November 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz