Not so long ago, I was challenged to consider my deeply held view regarding my personal relationship with Jesus.

What did that look like for me?

I discovered that I held on to two pictures or ideas about this and realized that neither of them were pictures I took on intentionally. They were just there and had been for a long time.

I couldn't even tell you where they came from.

The first picture was of a god who sent me on a mission. My mission, should I choose to accept it–as if I actually had a choice-was to take something called the truth, something called 'good', and something called 'right' and carry them with me on a journey.

This journey included steep trails with narrow paths winding around ragged mountains with dangerous cliffs.

One wrong move, and I was done for. And so was my mission to carry my cargo wherever it was going.

That's not to say there weren't occasional meadows or pastures to lie down in, or beautifully "painted" skies to admire. But just as often there were storms and mud to slog through and a sense of urgency about my responsibility to succeed in my mission.

Even though success wasn't defined or at all clear.

For the most part, I traveled alone. Occasionally I crossed paths with others who I thought were on the same journey, but I was never really sure. And they didn't stay around long.

In all fairness, I didn't stay around them long either.

Thinking about it more, I realized that I didn't know *where* I was going. I was just following a path and checklist. And hoping for 'the right' outcome.

The other picture was of a tightrope. That was the ultimate in a narrow path. And was a scary prospect for me since my legs get wobbly when I'm on tall buildings or bridges.

For whatever reason, those pictures made sense to me for a long time, and without a guide, I'm not sure I would have considered asking God if they were from Him... or if He had better pictures for me.

The first time I asked God what He wanted me to see as a picture of my relationship with Him, He showed me sandboxes. Lots of BIG sandboxes.

I had my own big sandbox, and it was near the water. I could build things in my sandbox and if they didn't work out, I could knock them down, smooth them over, and build something else.

There are lots of possibilities within a sandbox...we can invite others to collaborate with us, and they can invite us to their sandbox. We can play and test things with minimal risk, playing in sand is a plenty sensory experience for me, and grounding...especially near the salty ocean, where the fresh air and sunshine also contribute to a healing environment.

Playing in the sand is more about the process and the relationships and less about a 'mission'...unless maybe you are participating in one of those sand sculpture competitions, but then you've probably practiced a lot and the process is still pretty important.

In a sandbox, we can have brand-new beginners and amazing experts. There is room for everyone.

The sandbox wasn't the only picture God gave me about my life with Him.

I don't remember where it came from, but I began to consider that life with God is more of an adventure... He has invited me on an adventure WITH Him, rather than sending me on a mission FOR Him.

That was a transformational point for me. In my days of treacherous mountain paths, I had thought (and been taught) that I was made to glorify God by going out and doing things FOR Him... and my pictures at the time fit that view.

But now, He was changing my understanding and showing me something "new".

He didn't expect me to go out and get things right. He wanted me to walk with Him, to *know* Him, and to *be* myself with Him. He made me in His image, and He knew that was a good thing. He didn't want me to hide my light under a bushel because someone else thought that light was too bright or cast the wrong color.

This is when I got a new picture.

I saw myself in the woods. I was a little girl dressed all in white... white shoes and socks, a white dress, and a crown of white flowers in my hair.

I wasn't alone.

There was a kind, guarding presence with me. I didn't see Him, but I knew it was God. I flitted around in the woods, exploring all the things, carrying some back to show Him and bringing Him along to see others that I couldn't carry back. He clearly delighted in our adventure together.

We talked about everything, and I asked lots of questions... I don't know what they were about, but He always answered patiently, and often not in ways I 'expected'. Much like Jesus did when people asked Him questions.

The woods we were in were neither dark nor ominous. There was no sense of foreboding, no worry about 'getting it right'.

I considered the white clothes I wore in the woods. They were bright and clean and never picked up dirt. I thought about how taking a child on a walk through the woods dressed in white would be most mothers’ nightmare. But that wasn’t an issue here.

It was a delightful adventure.

Last year, I took some mini road trips.

I had a destination in mind, and I set my GPS. My course was set, or so I thought. I reached a familiar part of another journey, and my GPS suggested an alternate route. I had never taken that turn before and I decided to accept the change.

Within a mile or two I discovered a whole new world of green pastures dotted with cows and country homes, little neighborhoods, and gently winding country roads.

What a dream! I knew I had time to spare to get to my destination and I soaked it all in.

As I did, a familiar voice whispered to my heart... "I'm glad you chose the alternate route. The unknown path. The adventure with Me. There are no right or wrong turns with Me and what you think may be a detour or a wrong turn can open up new experiences you would have missed if you stayed on the familiar path."

Wow. I realized that road trips are also a picture of my life and adventure with Jesus.