If you’ve been following me on Instagram or Facebook you may have noticed that we recently went on a whirlwind trip to Atlanta, GA the weekend of Father’s Day. We chose to go to Atlanta in June for one very specific purpose… WHALE SHARKS! Our son, Jackson, LOVES Whale Sharks! Behind Malard Ducks, Whale Sharks are Jackson’s second favorite animal.
I’m not sure what got Jackson started on loving Whale Sharks. Perhaps it’s because they are a gentle giant (short people like us always appreciate a good gentle giant). Jackson did a research project in 2nd Grade where he learned all about Whale Sharks. He discovered that the only aquarium in the United States that has them is the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, GA. We had been trying to figure out a way to go there ever since.
If you know my husband, Jarrett, at all you know that he loves a good adventure! He will take any excuse he can find to go explore somewhere new. So he has had Atlanta, GA on his travel research radar for over a year, trying to figure out a way we could go and see these epic creatures.
We had talked about doing a family trip for Memorial Day weekend to Denver but Jarrett started looking into plane tickets for Atlanta to see if that might be a possibility. He discovered a few decently priced tickets so we put off the Denver trip and kept watching for cheap flights out of Denver to Atlanta instead. One day Jarrett found some tickets we couldn’t pass up. We bought the tickets and surprised Jackson with the news on his last day of 3rd grade! He was ecstatic to say the least!
We spent 3 full days in downtown Atlanta, GA. We walked or rode the Marta train system to get everywhere we needed to go. We got to spend a one full (9 hour!) day in the Georgia Aquarium and it really was amazing! Jackson loved every single minute of it and Jarrett and I had a blast too! They have 4 Whale Sharks in a giant tank with Manta Rays, sharks of various kinds, a Sea Turtle, and countless other sea creatures. We even got to take a behind the scenes tour where we learned all about how they got the Whale Sharks to the aquarium and how they take care of them. We also got to see the tank from above where we watched the whale sharks rise to the top of the water right in front of us. They are HUGE, people, HUGE!
Here’s the thing… If you know me at all, you know that I am NOT an adventurous person. I am also not a huge fan of big cities. I tend to like to stick close to home and read, write, or create things. I like my warm, cozy bed and the familiarity of my own space in our quiet little town. It’s an understatement to say that Jarrett’s sense of adventure stretches me in so many ways. After nearly 15 years of marriage and countless adventures, though, I can say with gusto that I am so grateful to be married to Jarrett Chaney! I have seen so many places that I never would have dreamed to visit on my own. I would never have thought going to Atlanta for a few days to see Whale Sharks was even a reasonable possibility. But Jarrett did! He saw our son’s curiosity and made his dreams come true! It’s so fun that this trip to Atlanta was connected to Father’s Day because it was such a great example of what it means to be a Father; to love your child and to delight in their delight.
I am so thankful for Jarrett’s fearless, adventurous spirit. Our Atlanta adventure reminded me of when I first started to write my song, “Where You Lead.” We were on our way back from another one of our adventures to Tuscan, Arizona. I was thinking of all the places Jarrett has led me. Literally up mountains and through valleys filled with wildflowers. To deserts and barren lands with beauty of their own. On trails that lead to waterfalls, lakes, rivers, and streams. Up steep cliffs, through rocky canyons, and to the tip tops of rugged mountains. Jarrett taking us on adventures has been such an earthly, human example of a Good Shepherd leading his flock (which is what I talk so much about in my book, especially in the Chapter for “Where You Lead“).
On pretty much all of our adventures I am lagging behind by a good ways. By being slow, I get the privilege of getting to view our adventurous surroundings while also getting to watch my son following his Daddy. It fills my heart with joy to see how they interact. Jackson would follow Jarrett anywhere. He follows with joy because he trusts him. He believes that His Daddy would never lead him somewhere that he would not go first. This is a great example of walking by faith!
In our spiritual journey, walking by faith means trusting that we have a Heavenly Father, a Daddy, who has already been there and done that. He is trustworthy and true. He helps us up the hard places, and teaches us about life as we go. In Deuteronomy 31:1-8 Moses is stepping down from leadership and encouraging the Israelites to continue following God into the Promised Land. In verse 8 Moses tells them, “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” God goes before us, is with us, and never leaves us.
I’m not sure what kind of earthly father you have. Even the best of them are imperfect. But I do know this, you have a Daddy in Heaven who delights to delight in you. As it says in Zephaniah 3:17, “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” Perhaps there is a curiosity in your heart that you’ve been ignoring, too afraid of that adventure that awaits you. I know I have. What if God is calling you (and me) to trust Him? What if He’s just waiting for us to say, “Yes” to the adventure of following Him?
No, I don’t consider myself to be an adventurous person. Mostly it’s because I’m afraid of the unknown. Lately, though, I’m learning to say “Yes” even when I’m scared because I know that the adventure is always worth it! Especially when you have a really good adventure guide!
The most precious gift of our whole Atlanta trip was the moment the three of us were sitting on the floor next to the giant Ocean Voyager tank at the aquarium watching the Whale Sharks swim by and Jackson said, “I am never going to forget this!” It brings sweet mama tears to my eyes every time I think of it. I wonder if God feels the same way about us when we trust Him enough to follow where He leads, joining Him on the adventure of a lifetime.