37. Don’t Be Afraid To Say, “Yes”

I found myself struggling to keep bites of homemade spatzle in my mouth due to the belly laughing circulating through the six of us at the dinner table. If joy and laughter required a certain amount of square footage, this tiny arched cabin would have exploded. Sitting at the dinner table, we took up a large portion of the open floor plan of the downstairs space. You could be anywhere in the downstairs space in seven steps or less. The beautiful quaint kitchen held barely enough room for two people to move about. A handful of plates, bowls, cups, and mugs sat lovingly placed upon the natural wood grain open shelves. Flames danced behind the door of the wood furnace in the corner producing the only source of heat the cabin had to make it through the Idaho winters. A small bathroom contained the only interior door in the cabin. A ladder near the front door led up to the simple and efficient bedroom above. And it was in this space, amongst the laughter of new friends that I felt the most at home I have since I left my house over three months ago. Since living in the van I have learned that it’s not the amount of space you have, it’s how you use the space that makes it special. Sitting at the table looking up at the skis in the rafters above me I smiled at how efficient this cabin was being used. I was with new found family. In a town I had never been before, in a cabin I had never been in before, in a room of people I had met less than 24 hours before, I was with new found family. 

I arrived to the Ross Creek Cedars in Idaho due to a suggestion from a group of people I had met while at Symes hot springs in Montana. Getting out of Pearl I stepped around to grab my jacket and overheard, “How long is this hike?” The guys parked next to me were discussing the hike and I tuned in to see if I could learn what I was also wondering. Interjecting myself into the conversation we started chatting. This led to me joining their group for the hike. Before long I was helping Tim and Tawny’s little girl Willow over streams and down from tall logs. I could just tell the way they talked and interacted that there was something different about them. “Hey, I have a feeling like I already know the answer to this...” I started in as we hiked through the 1000 year old cedars, “...do y’all know Jesus?” A smile crept over their faces. “Yes, indeed we do.” Tim answered back. “I grew up in the Dominican Republic in a missionary family and Toby, the German over there, and his wife Shalom were also missionary kids. And yes, Jesus plays a big part in our lives.” That answered it all. The scripture, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” came to mind. And that’s exactly what it was, it was their inclusivity and love that made them different than the average Joe. An hour later the hike came to an end. Toby strolled over and in his German accent asked me if I wanted to join for dinner and games that evening. They lived over an hour back the other way from the direction I was needing to go. I had even told a friend I would be at his house that evening in Sandpoint, ID which was a couple hours the other direction. Weighing my options I knew that I had no option but to say, “Yes” and join. 

For the next 24 hours I ate every meal with them, played every game with them, talked Jesus, politics, and everything in between with them. I even accidentally smoked everyone out of the house the next morning at 7am when I couldn’t get the wood burning furnace to work properly. Coughing and laughing all five of them with sleep still in their eyes came down the stairs. That day for lunch I learned how to make homemade spatzle thanks to Toby and his family roots. I’ve never felt so accepted and close to a group of people after only knowing them for only 24 hours. Truly a blessing of knowing Jesus and meeting others who also know Him. 

When adventure asks you if you want to join, don’t be afraid to go out of your way and say, “Yes”. As a good friend of mine once told me, “Adventure begins when you are no longer in control.”