"Hoot!"

I saw an owl this morning as I was "mountain" biking through the Floridian jungle.  I hooted at it, and it looked at me like I was an idiot.  Owls often make me feel this way.

But other than the owl episode I had a wonderful time weaving my way through palm fronds, ducking under the Spanish moss and zipping by ferns.  I'm reminded of the spoonerism, "There's nothing better then rolling down a hill on a well boiled icicle."

Today as I exited the trail, I just had to thank Jesus for these moments.  Albeit they are moments full of blur and adrenaline, but they are moments in his naked creation as well.  I'm convinced that I'm made for this.  "Man vs. Wild" here I come!

No, actually my version of "Man vs. Wild" would consist of sleeping in hotels (oops, did he do that?), roasting marshmallows and skipping sunrises over sunsets.  Plus I'd have to eliminate all animal dangers, as well as heights.  Oh and poisonous plants as well.  Oh and definitely mosquitoes and ants, I hate ants.

In fact, my version would take place in my family room, surrounded by all the comforts of middle class life.  This sort of brings me to something I've been thinking about a lot:  The Christian life is a road marked with suffering right?

As we approach Good Friday, I think this is an appropriate question.  Is it possible, in middle-class suburbanite America, to live the adventure of Christianity?  I believe it is possible, but as with the illustration of the "rich man through the eye of a needle," it's going to be a challenge.

I typically like challenges.  But I've been finding more and more, as I get older, the tendency to opt out of challenges in favor of familiarity and comfort.  But my Christian problem isn't going anywhere and the child within me is screaming to live.

Now I don't want to get into "all or nothing thinking," Jesus is definitely alive and well in me, but I still have this specter that lurks and haunts my days saying, "Is this all?  Is this it?  Are you made for McDonalds, movies, bike rides and Dunkin Donuts coffee?  Were you made to suck your thumb with life?"

I don't know.  And I know I'm not going to figure it out anytime soon.  The thought that sanctification is a process certainly is encouraging, and I have great hope in whose hands I'm in.  And I'm not about to go and seek out hardship, I'll save that for weirdos like Bear Grizzle - what a name for a TV character!

But as the owl cocked his head in query to my hooting this morning.  Perhaps Jesus cocks his head at my fervor for comfort.

These ideas were spurred on by a book I just read "The Default Life," by Sam McLoughlin, a fellow Regent College alumni.  Read it, it could be a game changer.