Normalcy

I am stretching. I can feel the pain yet relief of what the stretch of the Lord brings into my view and perspective of where this life is leading me. Of where He continues to move me towards. Who are we and what are we meant for? And how often do we second guess ourselves because of what culture insists we become?

How many times have I thought, "when should I start looking at better PAYING jobs and go in that (what seems) boring path of predictability"? 

How many times have I been told that what I am doing is bazaar, thoughtless, crazy, selfish, pointless, unimportant, and off direction from what normalcy is? How many times can I be told that it is time to grow up?

How many times can I be asked why I ride my bike up huge hills and torture my body in such ways for people and places I've never even seen? Why do people who have known me for what seems like so long honestly ask me as if they don't know me at all, "what do you do when you get to hills? Why would you ever do something like that"?...Really?

...Really?

Have I miss represented myself in a way that everyone is confused and perhaps thinks I am a fraud? or maybe it is because we are all blinded in one way or another by various things in our own lives that steals focus from what is true, pure and honest. Perhaps another angel would be more suitable. Perhaps this is Humility.

I am not in it for "fame" I am not in it for bragging rights or seeing if I can really do it. It's not about me. But a perk is that it brings me joy to suffer for those who don't have freedom to have a voice. To dream openly and allow themselves to fully surrender to a true God. My God. That what my legs have been shaped into by God Himself can help bring someone near and far learn His sons name and bring them one step closer to the growing Kingdom.

Praise the Lord oh my soul.

My Dad once said that he was rather let down that I didn't seem very passionate about what I've been doing and who I've been doing these things for... Clearly he was being sarcastic.

How'd I Get So Blessed?

We follow old giants instead of the ground. Creation and natural disaster has become our path. But this way is healthy. Abiding by no earthly law. For we do not belong to this earth. We are our Fathers children. Hops, Skips and jumps into discoveries unknown.

These trails are unlike anything we've ever seen. In the same ways the paths of our lives surprise us in the same ways. Not being able to fathom what these things look like to be able to comprehend even the smallest rain drop hitting leaves before drops hit your face. Yet each glimpse that we witness, each step we take across the mossy base, we are revived and torn down. Layers peel back on the cold numb parts of our hearts like frail bits of bark lead to phloem. The deeper we dig, the deeper we dare to trek, the more we loose the meaningless and gain grace and love. The more it swells within us destroying the dead and bringing new life. This rubbish has been cluttering up my footsteps.

 I wanted to hear a good story. One that was true and one that was real deep. As I sat leaning into the inches of life and breathed it in, I heard this story through those around me in awe of what we were witnessing. My eyes are shown while my heart and soul can feel all aspects of this story. An Author telling His story in each detailed layer. The brilliance and the elegance of what He's brought us here to see of what He didn't need to show us or even create...

...And yet He wrote it into our stories. He placed it next to the anticipation in between patience and hardship. He placed it perfectly with each of us in mind.
As each rain drop falls. Every rumble of thunder, every step taken off the beaten path... How'd I get so blessed to witness such delicate glory rays? How'd we get so blessed to be placed into others lives in these important parts and places.

Ever try to put a name to a face but it doesn't seem to come and you can't remember the details? Yet being in the presence of these places and faces, it is far to hard to forget the name behind the detail, color and scent of the things He sits on and signs as His own brilliant creation. Taking all the credit that we praise, stepping back while taking it all in. Taking in every detail. Even the small things like us standing in the middle of it all seeing that it was good. Right down to the skipping hearts as the breath is stolen from each winding turn we take. Overwhelmed by presence and lack of understanding mixing and molding into the longing to know better. To love better... To seek deeper and let His love soak us to the very core leaving us saturated in grace and redemption.