into the unknown.

I wrote last week about feeling ankle deep. Ankle deep in new, unknown territory. Ankle deep in experience. Ankle deep and anticipating when the waves will crash and the ground make way. Over the weekend, facing the unknown consumed my thoughts, journal entries, and conversations. Truth is, there's no way around the unknown. Not in our thoughts, not on our blogs, and certainly not in our lives.

Gnawing at my heart all weekend was the truth that I am not done writing about the unknown and I am not done facing it in my life. Although right now I am entering into the unknowns of teaching, a new role in ministry, and life post-graduation, I am certain that the unknowns will not cease. They will keep coming each year, each season. If it's not here, it's there. Or somewhere in the future. For you, maybe it's moving to an unknown city. Maybe it's applying for college. Maybe it's your first job. Maybe it's your first relationship. Maybe it's marriage. Maybe it's parenthood. Maybe it's a career change. Maybe it's retirement. I don't know what walking into the unknown looks like for you, but I'd be willing to bet that in some area of your life, you're experiencing it.

Here's my question, what does it really mean to walk into the unknown? What does it mean to walk faithfully into the unknown? What does it feel like to deeply move through the unknown? What are the emotions that we experience? How do we walk into the unknown steady? How do we get there with humility - aware of the fact that the story isn't actually about us, but that we're a part of something bigger? How do we approach the unknown with an eager, open spirit even though we may be trembling with fear?

This is some of where my heart and my mind were this weekend. For the next few posts or maybe longer, I'm going to be exploring the unknown; through word, song, image. That cool with you? I sure hope so. I don't know where this journey will take us, but I hope you'll join me in exploring and experiencing the unknown in the fullest way possible.

Tonight I thought I'd share this print from Pinterest. These days, it seems like everyone has an opinion about the way I'm stepping into the unknown. Maybe you feel that way, too; like everyone has an opinion. I'm starting to trust and believe that even if I don't know what's around the next corner, I'm on my own journey. In those moments, I'm learning to take a step back and take a deep breath. It's okay to not have the answers, but part of walking faithfully into the unknown is trusting that the direction you're headed, though a mystery, is the right direction for you.

Here's the to unknown; to clenched fists, deep breaths, and big jumps. Here's to learning and experiencing faithful and steady steps into the unknown. Here's to trusting that we're going in the right direction.