The Call to Adventure

"The Call to Adventure
The call to adventure is the point in a person's life when they are first given notice that everything is going to change, whether they know it or not."

It has hit me. It has finally truly hit me. I leave the world I know on Sunday. Everything changes the moment I step onto the first plane. Its crazy. The dream is now reality. This isn't all talk, it is action. It has become for me to control how I feel right now, which leads to this:

"Refusal of the Call
Often when the call is given, the future hero refuses to heed it. This may be from a sense of duty or obligation, fear, insecurity, a sense of inadequacy, or any of a range of reasons that work to hold the person in his or her current circumstances."

Fear has gripped me. I am truly afraid of what lies ahead of me. Its unknown. No longer can I use my past to speculate my future. It is all unknown. A clean slate. If it was not for my determination and strong will, I think I would have backed out by this point. But I know that Europe is where God currently wants me. This leads to the next step in this variation of the "Hero's Journey" story structure:

"Supernatural Aid
Once the hero has committed to the quest, consciously or unconsciously, his or her guide and magical helper appears, or becomes known."

In some versions it is the appearance of the mentor. But for my circumstance, Supernatural Aid works best. It is difficult to realize that it is in the Hands of God, not mine. As much as I need physical aid to get a few tasks done, what I need the most is psychological aid. I need to not think about the change and instead focus on what I will be doing. And that, hopefully, will be beyond my imagination. It is all in God's control. Not the limited strength and capabilities of Stephan Hughes.

The next two steps are almost literal: "Crossing the First Threshold" (aka security checkpoint at the Indy Airport) and the "Belly of the Whale" (in the plane/on route to Brussels). Granted, Belly of the Whale is a variation in the Hero's Journey. The actual step varies form version to version.

And after that, I hope the similarities deviate. I'm not hero, but it is interesting how similar those first steps are. I leave at 11 am on Sunday. Things will change and it is very scary. Scariest of all is knowing that I will change. All according to God's plan that is, but still. But my changing is not why I am doing this. It is all about what I can do to serve God. To spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And as a result, I will be affected. This is a big and scary time in my life. Possibly few understand. But I must keep my eyes on Christ, for that is the reason why I am doing this.

I leave Sunday, April 21st at 11 am and arrive on the 22nd around 9am Eastern time. Please keep my in your prayers.

More updates coming soon


Hero's Journey Summary.