What If?

Today someone asked me a question:
“Do you feel like you have enough adventures?”
I said, “No, never, I keep seeking more.”
Then he said, ‘What is adventure?’
Immediately I started to pound my response through cyberspace to my American friend in Germany asking me the question.

“Life IS an adventure AND its what you make it. It’s seizing opportunity. It’s going a different route than intended. It’s meeting someone new and perhaps missing a movie to hang out with them. It’s walks at midnight. It’s creating and making food and fires in new countries or even your own country. It’s sleeping in new beds and places. It’s an adventure in your HEART with Jesus, trusting him, leaping in faith, LEAPING over a massive crevice in the rock knowing goodness is on the other side but the leap stretches you.”

It got me thinking about my life and how much of my life has been spent with a man. From 14-23 I have been in relationships. I have been swayed/shaped by men in my life, as many people are by the opposite sex. At times I tried to like something because they did, but realised I just didn’t in the end. I’ve played down things I really like because I thought they would think I was silly. I’ve presented what I’ve wanted to present so that it’s acceptable and fits into a box.

Since October last year, my heart began to change. God began to show me the things I really like. Ali Rankine things that make MY heart pump faster, what things get ME excited and not because it’s linked to someone else in my life.
It has been so refreshing to find out what makes me, me and what makes me tick! The things that are Ali Rankine things, God has opened my eyes to.

I looked at my response about adventure to my friend and I know for a fact, that even 3 years ago I would never have given that answer. I wouldn’t have felt free to give that answer even a year ago. It’s amazing.

My friend challenged me to read a blog he’s been keeping up with and he said, oh you should DEFINITELY do this, you already do things people usually wouldn’t so I’d love to see what you come up with.
As I opened up the blog I realised it was a man called Donald Miller. Lately I’ve been hearing a lot about him from various friends who are reading his book. (Are you trying to tell me something God?!)
Anyway, the blog was talking about the ‘what if’ challenge.
Here is a little excerpt of what I read from Donald Millers blog:

“Several years ago, I asked the question 'What if the 360,000 churches in America could each have a mentoring program?' and out of that question came one of the most exciting adventures in my life, The Mentoring Project.
Bill Hybles once asked 'What if there were a church in this field?'
Rick Warren asked 'What if we could bring peace to the continent of Africa?'.
Out of these questions came stories that have positively affected millions.

What if you asked yourself a series of these questions?
What if you got out a yellow pad and wrote down a few story turns that you could engage?
What if you ran a marathon?
What if you renewed your marriage vows?
What if you quit your job?
What if you brought home a puppy today?
What if you and your family adopted a child?

If your story has gotten boring, perhaps it’s time to ask yourself the 'what if' question. Try this, in the comment box, just brainstorm five what if questions as fast as you can. Try to to take the suggestion seriously, but do it fast. What will begin to happen is you’ll begin to dream, you’ll stop thinking of life as stagnant, and you’ll be reminded that life, for the most part, is what you make of it.”

I was excited at the questions people were asking themselves on the blog, the comments they returned and I pondered how their lives would change if they acted out their ‘what ifs’ and made them definite plans. However, I was hesitant to enter into my own ‘what if’s’. As much as I am adventurous, this is a scary prospect. My what if’s could be a bit wild and people might not understand.

People Ali? Did you honestly just say that in your brain? You are worried PEOPLE won’t like what you do? Well, I’m sorry, but you left THAT behind a LONG time ago. This isn't about PEOPLE and expected things anymore, this is about your journey with Jesus and what the Father says, you hear and you do. People don’t need to be pleased if you are pleasing your Daddy.

Yes, you are right. Thanks for the reminder.



Donald Miller encouraged us to be FAST as we think up our ‘What If’ questions. They are to be serious but we are to write the first five things that come into our heads. The first Five.
So I get my pen and my paper and I allow myself to think. I am going to write my five on here for future reference, perhaps even for accountability, encouragement and conversation:

1. What if I could play a musical instrument?
2. What if I applied for a visa in another country?
3. What if I never ‘moved’ in back home again?
4. What if I met someone special?
5. What if I lived on the streets for 6 months?

WHOA. Big big things. Life changing things.
Would Jesus discourage any of these things? I don’t think so.
Are any of them technically illegal? I don’t think so.
Could I glorify God in any of these things? Yes, all of them in fact.
Could I make new connections and tell people about Jesus through any of these? Yes, all of them.
Could I act out the gospel and the great commission? Yes!
Would I learn and become more like Christ in the process of any of these things? Again, yes.

So I don’t know what my first step is in any of these five questions. Without God I cannot do anything, without His leading and instruction I will not walk into what He has intended for me. I need to take ONE step at a time. If I look too far ahead I might miss my footing and land in a soggy wet bog, eurgh. I must keep my eyes on him and concentrate on one step at a time and let it fall into place. I must trust Him that the next steps ARE there, even if I cannot see them.



I am so thankful for inspiration. I am so thankful for beauty around me. I am so thankful that I was born and that God made me Alison Jayne Rankine. I am thankful that I have many opportunities ahead of me and God is leading me step by step into them.
I am a thankful daughter.