On my way home from work a few Fridays ago I was cut off by an SUV. My drive to and from work takes me along a wonderful four lane road that has a grassy median and a breathtaking view of a lake. During my drive this guy sped up to tailgate the person in the lane next to me then proceeded to cut into my lane only to hit the brakes due to slowing traffic up ahead. In a calm, yet defensive manner I hit the brakes and as I put my hands up in the air let out a "Come one.”
Seeing my displeasure, the Mario Andretti of the yuppie mobile slowed down -10 under the speed limit to be exact - and gave me a single finger salute of endearment. I laughed it off as I attempted to pass him to avoid his petty game only to have him speed up, boxing me in with the car next to me.
On the remainder of my drive home my wheels turned in my head as fast as the ones on my car. What will be my next post, I thought. The past weeks I've spent so much time in personal reflection and discernment about my life and the direction I'm "called" and "wanting" to take, as well as my writing and what the next step will be for me. I’m nearly finished with the application process for grad school and I’m beginning my search for a literary agent for my manuscript, among a few other life adventures. But here's what I pondered after my classroom session in the confines of my car:
It's funny how in life parents give kids a time out for their tomfoolery, teachers can toss out detentions to students for being dumb, during a guy’s night you can pull a buddy’s ‘Man Card’ for acts that are less than manly or for acts that are weak-sauce-applesauce…or for any man who ever says something as stupid as weak-sauce-applesauce.
But wouldn’t it be great to be able to pull out the ‘You’re a Dumbass’ card to give to someone when they’re… a dumbass and be able to do it without fear of being beaten up or retaliated against. What about if you could have the ability to shrink someone - like in the game of Mario - so that after someone commits an act of doochery you could press a button and shrink them to about two inches high for about five minutes so you can literally walk all over the person who attempted to walk all over you…or in my case, who nearly caused an accident.
Or, better yet, wouldn’t it be great if people just exhibited a bit more humility?
In the book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis wrote that “true humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” It's so simple to say, yet so challenging to live out, but just imagine the world we live in if there was more humility exhibited. A world where people thought less about their own self-interests and focused more on how they could better the others around them.
There wouldn't be as much crime, war and hate. There would be more married couples than divorced and single. Governments could learn to work with and support one another...and properly, not politically, support their own citizens. It is through humility that we can put aside ourselves to better love, serve and lead others.
One of my favorite writers, Ralph Waldo Emerson, put it in simpler terms saying that “a great man is always willing to be little.” Imagine the humility it takes to back down after being run off the road or being walked all over at work or being one upped by your friend who is a one upper. Being the bigger person also means being the one to take a step back and at times swallowing your pride. If that doesn’t work you could always whip out your “You’re a Dumbass card.”
5.30.2013
5.13.2013
Temperance Can Kiss My Assisi
I led a small group during a high school retreat earlier this year consisting mostly of freshmen guys and gals. We had an exceptionally spirited conversation about weaknesses and worries in regards to our faith.
“What is keeping us from growing in our faith?’ I asked the group.
Everyone shared text book responses just barely skimming the surface of the topic. Then out of a nowhere came the most profound statement that stopped the conversation in its tracks. This young man - a shy, sometimes awkward freshman boy - interrupted and shared with what has kept him from growing in all aspects of his life.
"I think the biggest thing keeping me from growing personally and spiritually in my life is temptation," is how he began. I figured he was going to list off all the big ones I've heard time and time again on retreats. The same old anger towards parents, lust, contributing to rumors and gossip, pornography, the list goes on. He continued, "Not just temptation as a whole, but the temptation to wait until tomorrow."
Bam, this from a fourteen year old who hasn't even experienced the roller coaster ride of hormones, testosterone and strife most adults have to endure to achieve such deep discernment. Like most people, I drag my feet and push the important items to tomorrow or the weekend. For example, the application for grad school that I’ve put off since January and the three years of discerning that prolonged it all. The second round edits to my manuscript that I’ve put off for a few months now to send to potential literary agents.
"I think the worst mistake we can make in our lives,” continued the pimply faced preacher, “Is to give into that temptation where we think we can 'do it' tomorrow, whatever it is we put off. For me, it's deepening my relationship with the Lord."
We all have our own personal struggles and weaknesses. Some of us have our own demons that we wrestle with daily. The simple truth is that we are all faced with our own temptations and we fall victim to them more than we’d like to admit.
It was said that St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, the environment and being a complete bad ass, was just like any male who struggles of suggestions of impurity. At times of weakness he would roll around in the snow to fight off falling to his temptations and if wasn't winter he'd just toss himself unto a thorn bush. Although I respect his discipline, I'm not sure I'd ever cause physical harm to myself, or risk pneumonia, to avoid losing the mini battle to temptation, but in order to fight temptation we need more than just good intentions, because even those grow weak.
The steps he took were a tad hardcore, but truly inspiring. In order for us to fight the good fight and win against temperance we must start by taking a page out of his holy play book. Find that motivating factor that keeps us strong at those moments we feel the weakest.
St. Francis was a simple man, with a simple mission, to walk in the footsteps of Christ. Yet he still struggled with his battles with temptation. We all do. We’re only human. What is it that you’re struggling with and tempted by the most? Once you can accept your weakness and can consciously agree that you want to persevere then you need to kick its Assisi and not be tempted to wait until tomorrow.
4.08.2013
The Cardinal Rule: Break through the Damn Glass
Tonight before scripture study I stopped in the sanctuary to pray. As I knelt before the Tabernacle my prayer was interrupted by a loud tap on the glass of the window behind me. It didn't keep me from my deep reflection of my life, my struggles and the stresses of my life today. Just as I felt it was getting somewhere the loud tap turned into a flutter of banging against what ended up being the window of the emergency exit door. After pausing my prayer, and the progress of unloading my feelings, I turned towards the far back corner of the Church.
A curious cardinal hovering outside the door was staring inside the Church. Every few seconds the fire truck red bird would make a dash towards the Church only to be swatted away by the glass of the door. After a few moments of being discouraged, rattled and attempting to catch his breadth the feathered friend tried again...and again to no avail. After watching this guy for nearly ten minutes attempt to get in, rest upon the pine tree, try again, hover while fighting his displeasure and trying again, he flew off. He had had enough.
My prayer didn't come in the form of a conversation with God tonight. It came through the cheeky sense of humor from the Big Guy as I witness a concussed bird attempt to break into the Church. That cardinal, was me, and that cardinal was you. Like that cardinal we so often see what it is we need to do to become a better person spiritually, professionally and personally. Like that cardinal we know what we must do to follow that righteous path or to become a better husband or wife but are kept form doing so. Like that cardinal we see those things, but can't seem to get their because there's this glass wall that separates us from point A to point B. The window that allows us to see our destiny, but is the barrier of truly living out our beliefs. Just like that cardinal we try and try and try, then get discouraged.
But the difference between us and that cardinal is that we have strength. We have love. We have a heart that burns with passion. We have been taught that perfect love trumps fear and we see that in the love and life of Christ that we are called to imitate. Being equipped with a love that conquers fear we can break through that damn wall that keeps us from our path.
For me it's figuring out "the next step" in my life as I discern my options and fears of grad school. It's also in the form of knowing where I'd like to see my writing go, but being afraid of the path I must follow to get it there. What is that wall keeping you from conquering in your life? Where is it you're supposed to be? Why are you still banging your head against it?
That bird got discouraged after ten minutes of beating his head against the door...I know the feeling...I tend to beat myself up over a lot of things. What that cardinal didn't know was that I had walked closer to the door and could have let him in, but he flew away before I could help. We have someone waiting on the other side who will never give up on us and is always calling us to enter in. Let nothing hold you back, no matter how many times you fail to break through the glass door that is holding you back.
Until next time...
A curious cardinal hovering outside the door was staring inside the Church. Every few seconds the fire truck red bird would make a dash towards the Church only to be swatted away by the glass of the door. After a few moments of being discouraged, rattled and attempting to catch his breadth the feathered friend tried again...and again to no avail. After watching this guy for nearly ten minutes attempt to get in, rest upon the pine tree, try again, hover while fighting his displeasure and trying again, he flew off. He had had enough.
My prayer didn't come in the form of a conversation with God tonight. It came through the cheeky sense of humor from the Big Guy as I witness a concussed bird attempt to break into the Church. That cardinal, was me, and that cardinal was you. Like that cardinal we so often see what it is we need to do to become a better person spiritually, professionally and personally. Like that cardinal we know what we must do to follow that righteous path or to become a better husband or wife but are kept form doing so. Like that cardinal we see those things, but can't seem to get their because there's this glass wall that separates us from point A to point B. The window that allows us to see our destiny, but is the barrier of truly living out our beliefs. Just like that cardinal we try and try and try, then get discouraged.
But the difference between us and that cardinal is that we have strength. We have love. We have a heart that burns with passion. We have been taught that perfect love trumps fear and we see that in the love and life of Christ that we are called to imitate. Being equipped with a love that conquers fear we can break through that damn wall that keeps us from our path.
For me it's figuring out "the next step" in my life as I discern my options and fears of grad school. It's also in the form of knowing where I'd like to see my writing go, but being afraid of the path I must follow to get it there. What is that wall keeping you from conquering in your life? Where is it you're supposed to be? Why are you still banging your head against it?
That bird got discouraged after ten minutes of beating his head against the door...I know the feeling...I tend to beat myself up over a lot of things. What that cardinal didn't know was that I had walked closer to the door and could have let him in, but he flew away before I could help. We have someone waiting on the other side who will never give up on us and is always calling us to enter in. Let nothing hold you back, no matter how many times you fail to break through the glass door that is holding you back.
Until next time...
2.18.2013
And The MVP of this Year's Super Fool? This Guy!
The Super Bowl has become a staple of pop culture in America. The grand finale for crazed fans to pack the coliseums to watch their favorite gladiators do battle on the gridiron. It’s the start of a new year of commercials and the kickoff towards the next season and the upcoming NFL Draft. It’s the Super Bowl and anyone, who is anyone, watches…except me this year.
The entire week leading up to the big game I grew more and more distraught over missing a good portion of the game for a youth group night. On a side note, the moment I did turn on the game…the power outage happened. I pouted like a five year old not getting his way in the toy aisle. Think about it, it’s the Super Bowl, who doesn’t watch the Super Bowl?
Amidst my angst and animosity in the days leading up to kickoff I was asked to take part in a skit with two other core adults for the Jr. High group. The skit would take place the same night of the game, which was an unexpected and much needed surprise. It was a skit that highlighted a teenage girl who attempted to make time for her faith, but struggled with the onslaught of pressure from a close girlfriend persuading her to go to a party. She fit God into her life when it was convenient for her and her schedule. Here's the kicker though... I was asked to be Jesus. How's that for karma?
The girl in the skit was asked why she couldn’t come out to the party, what she was doing and why she was being so weird, but she was too afraid to share what she was doing…praying. She made up an elaborate story, lied about what she was doing and put aside what was important for something “better” and more “fun.” How fitting that it was the night that I was all worked up for missing the first half of the game here I am playing the part of Big Gunz in a skit about prioritizing our life?
It was a humbling reminder, and a figurative quick kick to the face, that I still struggle with, like many of you, where I allow pride and self-interest get in the way of what matters most. Living a moral life, spending time serving others, etc. Just a couple days prior I had thrown a pity party for one, because I would miss out on a couple funny commercials and a touchdown or two and then I was asked to play Jesus in a skit about prioritizing our lives.
There's those subtle reminders we get when are besides ourselves, holding ourselves back from being a better person, a more supportive friend, the best son or daughter, you get the point. Where we get so caught up in what we think is most important, but really, in the grand scheme of things, fails in comparison of being able to spend more time with your family, to be able to give your self and time by bringing up arms or losing yourself in prayer. It's those simple reminders from God, life, an angel, whatever you believe that reminds us are true purpose among the chaos and grime of life and that's to love.
Until next time...
The entire week leading up to the big game I grew more and more distraught over missing a good portion of the game for a youth group night. On a side note, the moment I did turn on the game…the power outage happened. I pouted like a five year old not getting his way in the toy aisle. Think about it, it’s the Super Bowl, who doesn’t watch the Super Bowl?
Amidst my angst and animosity in the days leading up to kickoff I was asked to take part in a skit with two other core adults for the Jr. High group. The skit would take place the same night of the game, which was an unexpected and much needed surprise. It was a skit that highlighted a teenage girl who attempted to make time for her faith, but struggled with the onslaught of pressure from a close girlfriend persuading her to go to a party. She fit God into her life when it was convenient for her and her schedule. Here's the kicker though... I was asked to be Jesus. How's that for karma?
The girl in the skit was asked why she couldn’t come out to the party, what she was doing and why she was being so weird, but she was too afraid to share what she was doing…praying. She made up an elaborate story, lied about what she was doing and put aside what was important for something “better” and more “fun.” How fitting that it was the night that I was all worked up for missing the first half of the game here I am playing the part of Big Gunz in a skit about prioritizing our life?
It was a humbling reminder, and a figurative quick kick to the face, that I still struggle with, like many of you, where I allow pride and self-interest get in the way of what matters most. Living a moral life, spending time serving others, etc. Just a couple days prior I had thrown a pity party for one, because I would miss out on a couple funny commercials and a touchdown or two and then I was asked to play Jesus in a skit about prioritizing our lives.
There's those subtle reminders we get when are besides ourselves, holding ourselves back from being a better person, a more supportive friend, the best son or daughter, you get the point. Where we get so caught up in what we think is most important, but really, in the grand scheme of things, fails in comparison of being able to spend more time with your family, to be able to give your self and time by bringing up arms or losing yourself in prayer. It's those simple reminders from God, life, an angel, whatever you believe that reminds us are true purpose among the chaos and grime of life and that's to love.
Until next time...
2.10.2013
Grocery Shopping From Someone Else's Cart
Imagine shopping at the grocery store like you most likely do every week. Think about the list you write out or that's temporarily engrained into your mind. Am I out of milk? Do I need toilet tissue? How about more hummus? You venture through aisle after aisle and toss the items into your cart. The pile of groceries gets higher and higher as it consumes your germ infested metal cart you picked up in the parking spot beside your car.
The other day I was shopping at the grocery store and I saw the most bizarre occurrence. This gentleman walked away from his cart to search for items and as his back was turned this old lady - the typical purple haired lady that stood four feet tall, just able to see over her cart - parked her cart next to his and began picking items out of his cart. She surveyed the scene as she delicately placed items out of the way as she dug deep, every few seconds looking up to see if he was coming back. I was amazed by the buffoonery. It was as entertaining as it was joyfully intoxicating as I slowly moved in to get closer to the action. He would occasionally drop an item off at his cart as she stood near the cooler and when he'd walk away, his back turned from her, she'd go back at it and pick out items until he took his cart and walked off.
It's funny how a once self reliant society, forced to fight the good fight to get somewhere, has transformed into reliant of everyone else and dependent on getting it now. Entitled to the sweet rewards with half the labor. With the rise in technology and the demise of personal accountability, there's a direct association with the animosity we see on the roads, the discontent in our conversations and such hurtfulness broadcasted on the news. We've become accustomed to having items emailed to us and received in seconds. We are told that we can "get it your way" and have a million and one experts advertise their thoughts to us.
Like the lady in the grocery store, we've become too impatient to actually take the time to go about our way and achieve everything that we've put on to our figurative shopping list of life and accept that it might take some time. The woman, much like a lot of us, took a short cut to get things done quicker, but didn't even consider the effect it had on others, let alone how much time it would have taken to just push through it.
It's no surprise to me today in my life that I've grown so impatient and weak of heart that I often forget that in time good things happen, especially in terms of conquering even the weakest moments in my life. That if I trust in the Lord, through the good and the bad, I'll be able to follow that righteous path set forth. It is a simple, yet daunting task, to humble my heart and open my eyes to what it is I'm called to live out in my life. Just focus on the next three seconds and allow things to happen as they come, but never losing faith in what it is I'm to do.
This lesson I learned in the grocery store was a wonderful for me to think about as I prepare for Lent. A time in which we are called to give of ourselves in prayer, alms giving and fasting. To fast from the things that take us away from growing closer in faith and those things we consume our lives with the most. To give up alms so that we love others, by putting them before our own selves and to always give thanks through simple conversations with the Lord in prayer. It is in Lent that we remember that we're called to put to rest our pride and give thanks for what truly means most: life. The life that was sacrificed that we may live and the life that we've been called to live out. That instead of growing jealous and picking and choosing from what's in someone else's cart, we give thanks for the things we've been given and that we've collected in our own. That we humbly open our hearts for a Love that is so great. So pure. So authentic. For now is the time we focus on all the things we have jotted down on our shopping list and we fine tune the things we really think we need on it.
(This sounded so good in my head, but...)
Until next time...
The other day I was shopping at the grocery store and I saw the most bizarre occurrence. This gentleman walked away from his cart to search for items and as his back was turned this old lady - the typical purple haired lady that stood four feet tall, just able to see over her cart - parked her cart next to his and began picking items out of his cart. She surveyed the scene as she delicately placed items out of the way as she dug deep, every few seconds looking up to see if he was coming back. I was amazed by the buffoonery. It was as entertaining as it was joyfully intoxicating as I slowly moved in to get closer to the action. He would occasionally drop an item off at his cart as she stood near the cooler and when he'd walk away, his back turned from her, she'd go back at it and pick out items until he took his cart and walked off.
It's funny how a once self reliant society, forced to fight the good fight to get somewhere, has transformed into reliant of everyone else and dependent on getting it now. Entitled to the sweet rewards with half the labor. With the rise in technology and the demise of personal accountability, there's a direct association with the animosity we see on the roads, the discontent in our conversations and such hurtfulness broadcasted on the news. We've become accustomed to having items emailed to us and received in seconds. We are told that we can "get it your way" and have a million and one experts advertise their thoughts to us.
Like the lady in the grocery store, we've become too impatient to actually take the time to go about our way and achieve everything that we've put on to our figurative shopping list of life and accept that it might take some time. The woman, much like a lot of us, took a short cut to get things done quicker, but didn't even consider the effect it had on others, let alone how much time it would have taken to just push through it.
It's no surprise to me today in my life that I've grown so impatient and weak of heart that I often forget that in time good things happen, especially in terms of conquering even the weakest moments in my life. That if I trust in the Lord, through the good and the bad, I'll be able to follow that righteous path set forth. It is a simple, yet daunting task, to humble my heart and open my eyes to what it is I'm called to live out in my life. Just focus on the next three seconds and allow things to happen as they come, but never losing faith in what it is I'm to do.
This lesson I learned in the grocery store was a wonderful for me to think about as I prepare for Lent. A time in which we are called to give of ourselves in prayer, alms giving and fasting. To fast from the things that take us away from growing closer in faith and those things we consume our lives with the most. To give up alms so that we love others, by putting them before our own selves and to always give thanks through simple conversations with the Lord in prayer. It is in Lent that we remember that we're called to put to rest our pride and give thanks for what truly means most: life. The life that was sacrificed that we may live and the life that we've been called to live out. That instead of growing jealous and picking and choosing from what's in someone else's cart, we give thanks for the things we've been given and that we've collected in our own. That we humbly open our hearts for a Love that is so great. So pure. So authentic. For now is the time we focus on all the things we have jotted down on our shopping list and we fine tune the things we really think we need on it.
(This sounded so good in my head, but...)
Until next time...
1.20.2013
A Mango For Your Thoughts
I learned a valuable lesson while at the grocery store the other day. It came to me by way of a mango mistake in the produce section. Upon noticing a sale on mangos and the onset of the flu I had to get multiple mangos for the vitamin C. In my hurried hysteria I grabbed the juiciest of tropical green goodness and delicately placed them all into one produce baggie. As I twisted it closed to place into my cart the entire bag ripped and the mangos, five of them, all broke loose from the bag quicker and louder than students busting loose from school for the summer. They crashed into my cart, clattering about as they knocked over cans of soup and the rest of my flu survival kit items.
In a graceful, and refined way, I glided across the shiny linoleum floor of the produce section away from the loud racket much like that of orchestrated choreography seen in an episode of Dancing with the Stars. As my ballroom routine came to a close I looked around to see if anyone had seen what I had done and just as I came to, I noticed a woman pushing her cart down the aisle that dead ended into where I was.
"Nice one," she called out as she applauded my blunder. "We've all done that before."
"Agreed. We've all done it," chimed in another lady from the other side of the fruit aisle. "But nicely done to come back from it."
Through the next three days of laying on the couch that scene kept playing out and got me thinking:
How often do we try to pile in too much into our day, our week, into our life and yes into our plastic produce bags, only too just have everything come undone and end up crashing down on us? Whether it's pushing ourselves too hard and we become ill or we hold in so much stress and anxiety only to just freak out. We all have fallen victim to such an unfortunate break.
We forget to just take things three seconds at a time. We tone out advice from scholars that remind us to "simplify, simplify, simplify." We ignore that "the ill-tempered stir up strife, but the patient settle disputes (Proverbs 15:18)" or that we are called to "rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer (Romans 12:12)."
For me, it took mangos gracefully interrupting a couple shopper's midday grocery experience with a produce dance party and three days of laying on the couch to think about it. Next time I'll know not to shove too much into such cheap plastic, but also the next time that I'm filled with a quirky concoction of emotions - at work, when life throws down the hammer or if I'm struggling with five large mangos - I can be that sea of calm in a storm of chaos. Unfortunately it took unplanned mango madness and a bit of humility for me to learn this lesson.
In a graceful, and refined way, I glided across the shiny linoleum floor of the produce section away from the loud racket much like that of orchestrated choreography seen in an episode of Dancing with the Stars. As my ballroom routine came to a close I looked around to see if anyone had seen what I had done and just as I came to, I noticed a woman pushing her cart down the aisle that dead ended into where I was.
"Nice one," she called out as she applauded my blunder. "We've all done that before."
"Agreed. We've all done it," chimed in another lady from the other side of the fruit aisle. "But nicely done to come back from it."
Through the next three days of laying on the couch that scene kept playing out and got me thinking:
How often do we try to pile in too much into our day, our week, into our life and yes into our plastic produce bags, only too just have everything come undone and end up crashing down on us? Whether it's pushing ourselves too hard and we become ill or we hold in so much stress and anxiety only to just freak out. We all have fallen victim to such an unfortunate break.
We forget to just take things three seconds at a time. We tone out advice from scholars that remind us to "simplify, simplify, simplify." We ignore that "the ill-tempered stir up strife, but the patient settle disputes (Proverbs 15:18)" or that we are called to "rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer (Romans 12:12)."
For me, it took mangos gracefully interrupting a couple shopper's midday grocery experience with a produce dance party and three days of laying on the couch to think about it. Next time I'll know not to shove too much into such cheap plastic, but also the next time that I'm filled with a quirky concoction of emotions - at work, when life throws down the hammer or if I'm struggling with five large mangos - I can be that sea of calm in a storm of chaos. Unfortunately it took unplanned mango madness and a bit of humility for me to learn this lesson.
1.06.2013
An Angel on a Park Bench
We all have had moments when we had an angel appear in our lives. Maybe during one of those whoa moments where you knew you had an angel on your side. Like the moment you swerve to avoid hitting something in the road, a split second decision you made where you were amazed you could even think to do that. One of those moments where you could say you had your guardian angel with you.
I've felt bored these past couple of weeks. Bored with the thought of what is and wanting what could be. Bored thinking about the adventures - work, spiritual and fun - I want to be out doing, while tired of planning the ones I will set out for this year, just not during these winter months. I've felt smothered, and weighed down, by the confines of an office. Scared by the reality of not being able to explore as much as I should. Explore the world, explore the depths of my desires, explore my life and its purpose.
It was my goal this weekend to spend my entire Saturday hiking. It was to become my day to turn off my phone as quick as I could turn off my brain from anything that wasn't related to the trail and the world around it. I had longed for a day where it was me alone on the trail, engulfed in God's pure joy and the simple beauties that is nature. My mind raced with thoughts of future trips. I day dreamed, like a five year old, about how cool it would be to star in a survival/ adventure documentary that would be a mix of 180 Degrees South and a show on NatGeo, with a soundtrack reminiscent of the "I'd Rather Be Hiking" mix from my iPod.
As I was hiking along a portion of the trail I had come across a fellow hiker - which will be another post soon - and we shared a refreshing conversation about simplifying our lives and exploring more of what life has to offer, as we hiked along together. As I listened to her speak so passionately about wanting to set off on more adventures and her desire to enjoy exploring life in general, I caught my mind wandering off on things in my own life. Mainly the sense of boredom, but mile after mile I became deep in debate in my head about where it is God wants me to be and where I want to be. I thought about the lessons I'm supposed to be learning from it and Him, and if I'm even heading in the right direction...and then it hit me. I found my angel.
There it was, a snowman angel sitting on a bench out in the middle of the trail. On the particular path I was following sat passionately an angel to greet me along my journey. It was a simple reminder that regardless of where we think we are or how we feel we are doing there is always an angel there to walk with us along the way. The simple gesture to help us remember that God is there with us every step of the way. Whether we get it right or not, whether we are close friends or a voice from far off in the distance. He is everywhere. Walking along the trail with us as we follow the path before us. Sometimes we need to be reminded that and for me it came in a life size snowman angel waiting for me along the trail.
Until next time...
I've felt bored these past couple of weeks. Bored with the thought of what is and wanting what could be. Bored thinking about the adventures - work, spiritual and fun - I want to be out doing, while tired of planning the ones I will set out for this year, just not during these winter months. I've felt smothered, and weighed down, by the confines of an office. Scared by the reality of not being able to explore as much as I should. Explore the world, explore the depths of my desires, explore my life and its purpose.
It was my goal this weekend to spend my entire Saturday hiking. It was to become my day to turn off my phone as quick as I could turn off my brain from anything that wasn't related to the trail and the world around it. I had longed for a day where it was me alone on the trail, engulfed in God's pure joy and the simple beauties that is nature. My mind raced with thoughts of future trips. I day dreamed, like a five year old, about how cool it would be to star in a survival/ adventure documentary that would be a mix of 180 Degrees South and a show on NatGeo, with a soundtrack reminiscent of the "I'd Rather Be Hiking" mix from my iPod.
As I was hiking along a portion of the trail I had come across a fellow hiker - which will be another post soon - and we shared a refreshing conversation about simplifying our lives and exploring more of what life has to offer, as we hiked along together. As I listened to her speak so passionately about wanting to set off on more adventures and her desire to enjoy exploring life in general, I caught my mind wandering off on things in my own life. Mainly the sense of boredom, but mile after mile I became deep in debate in my head about where it is God wants me to be and where I want to be. I thought about the lessons I'm supposed to be learning from it and Him, and if I'm even heading in the right direction...and then it hit me. I found my angel.
There it was, a snowman angel sitting on a bench out in the middle of the trail. On the particular path I was following sat passionately an angel to greet me along my journey. It was a simple reminder that regardless of where we think we are or how we feel we are doing there is always an angel there to walk with us along the way. The simple gesture to help us remember that God is there with us every step of the way. Whether we get it right or not, whether we are close friends or a voice from far off in the distance. He is everywhere. Walking along the trail with us as we follow the path before us. Sometimes we need to be reminded that and for me it came in a life size snowman angel waiting for me along the trail.
Until next time...
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