like daisies

I've done at least three cool things this week...

I read a book by Rob Bell called "Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith." It's a book about how things like Christianity and the Bible tend to get all situated and comfortable in the world and then lose the very essence of what they are, what they're supposed to be - things that transform and spark a new style of living. It's about that more or less, though I suppose if you were to read it (and I suppose you should) you might put it differently. It's a book with insights that are, if not fresh, at least refreshing. After reading it though I don't feel like sitting around and being refreshed - I feel like actually doing something that will make me thirsty again.

I painted a yellow house (yellow like daisies) for an old woman named Helen. She just turned 85 and she still mows her own lawn. It's been wonderful doing something that makes some of my muscles ache and helps me get my hands dirty. I was feeling the need to immerse myself in some sort of manual labor - itching to do something active and creative (previously I had been doing a lot of somethings that were contemplative and speculative - I think we probably all need a fair assortment of these various somethings in order to be truly human). Five days of scraping, washing, priming, painting helped scratch that itch.

I experienced laughter. My sister and David and I went to see comedian Brian Regan perform live. And perform he did and alive he was. His energy and creative wit had my right side aching with laughter. It was such a delight to share laughter, something so foundational to what God is all about, with two of my favorite people. The one I liked best was when Regan talked about his neighbors annoying wind chimes. I'll tell you about it sometime.

extension

been spending these past days in indianapolis sharing moments and memories with my family (cherished!), reading a lot, writing a fair bit, listening to music (love songs, country songs, and ghetto rap), eating at einstien's, playing frisbee golf, camping, painting, and having my heart further romanced and healed by the touch of Jesus.
i continue to prepare for the edinburgh endeavor - both practically, outwardly, in a gotta-take-care-of-physical-things sort of way -- and heartfully, inwardly, spiritually, in a this-is-already-stretching/challenging/enriching-my-faith sort of way.

john steinbeck's words remain true for me, as they were for young jody in The Red Pony:

"it was a strange time and a mysterious journey...an extension of a dream."