In “Peter Pan” you will find the following two quotations:
“To live will be an awfully big adventure!”
“To die will be an awfully big adventure!”
The latter is said when Peter has made a sacrifice to save Wendy and expects to die. He does not, of course. The first quotation closes the book/play and is said by the narrator to note what Peter might say if he chose to leave Neverland and return with Wendy to London.
I have had many adventures in my life but I have to agree with JM Barrie (the author of Peter Pan) on both quotations. Life itself is an awfully big adventure and I would not trade mine for anything. Of course there have been valleys and peaks, but I have experienced love, joy, laughter, peace, and the assurance that faith brings.
Marrying someone is a awfully big adventure. Committing one’s life to be joined to another “til death do us part” is an incredibly challenging thing; yet, it can be, and has been for me, an incredibly rewarding thing.
Having children is an awfully big adventure. These little creatures you helped produce require a tremendous amount of care. They bring joy and frustration but they also awaken a profound sense of love that is the only thing on earth that begins to approach the nature of the love God has for us.
Trusting God in the midst of life is an awfully big adventure. There have been times in my life when I could neither understand nor explain what was happening. In my finer moments (all too rare) I simply trusted God to lead me on the path through the darkness. Faith is an adventure because you are giving up control of your life to Him. It can be terrifying and exhilarating, but it is always the right choice, even if suffering ensues.
Death will also be an awfully big adventure because, for the believer, it will bring an end to the sufferings and miseries of this world, and the joys of this world will be magnified beyond our current comprehension. To live forever in the presence of God trumps all other adventures and, while I am looking forward to it, I would prefer to have a few more adventures in this world with my loved ones.