This weekend proved to be another adventure. In general, I try to never travel alone. The main reason is that joint experiences seem to create the best environments for discipleship. And let’s just face it; I just have a lot more fun when my husband, a member of my team, or a friend come along for the ride.

Every now and then, I don’t do it. Last weekend was supposed to be one of those times. I was going to speak to some leaders at a friend’s church. It was going to be a quick, 24-hour trip, and I just didn’t want to ask them to spring for the second plane ticket.

As our student pastor (and fellow lover of adventures) drove me to the airport on Friday afternoon, I mentioned that my flight was pretty cheap and I should have checked to see if there were still cheap seats available on my flight. Her response? “Well, just check at the desk and I’ll wait in the cell phone area until you know.” My response, “Um, you don’t have time to go home and pack, though.” Her response, “It’s just overnight, right? I’ll be fine.”

So…into the airport I go. At the desk, “I’ve already checked into the 1:58 to Milwaukee but wanted to check on seat availability and price for a friend who may want to tag along.”

That’s when I discovered my flight had been cancelled. And I would have to shuttle all the way up to Baltimore to get a flight to Milwaukee. I leveraged that little inconvenience for a free ticket.

We are all wired differently. We have different love languages, different spiritual temperaments, and different discipleship pathways. For me, shared experiences are some of the best opportunities for discipleship. Here are some things I’m learning:

Jump at the opportunity. Jenilee was willing to pull a Luke 10:4 in order to be a part of the adventure. Turned out she didn’t have to. The change to BWI allowed her time to go home and pack. But she was willing to go “as is.” I’m trying to maximize my flexibility when it comes to being a part of experiences that might be transformational. I don’t want to miss out on a great opportunity just because it wasn’t convenient. Lots of people missed out on the adventure of a lifetime of following Jesus because it just wasn’t convenient for them (think rich young ruler).

Leverage your opportunity. If you are the one on the end of being able to provide an opportunity for someone else, then leverage it for them. I love the way Mark Batterson leverages his speaking trips to bless his kids. Find a way to turn your opportunity into an opportunity for someone else.

Never travel alone. I know some people really value the alone time they get on the road, in the plane, in the hotel. And maybe I will want that someday, too. But for now, traveling with another person is almost a non-negotiable for me. It’s an opportunity for another person to see who you are when you are “on” and when you are “off.” They get to hang out with and glean wisdom from folks they might not be able to otherwise. If it’s a person who will one day be doing the kind of job that you do, they get a close up look at what it’s really like and how they need to prepare.

This is applicable for small group leaders– if you are going to the hospital to visit a group member, take someone along. If you are going to the bookstore to check out curriculum, take someone along. If you are going to meet with someone who mentors you, take someone along once in a while.

And if you are in full-time ministry and traveling to speak to other churches, never travel alone. It’s not about having someone along to keep your crap together or drive your car or represent at your book table. It’s about an opportunity for shared discipleship.