I'm using WordPad to write with this morning since I haven't got around to installing Word on this new laptop.
WordPad has about everything a writer could need - it mimics a typewriter.
Today is Thursday June 22, 2006. It's a good day, we're still here, moving into the sweet spot of summer.
We'll start to see fresh local strawberries, blueberries, then corn, peaches, pears, peppers, apples...
We can listen to the Mariners on the radio, work in our yards, ride our bikes, take walks, sit outside on a warm evening as the sun sets - maybe sipping a beer or enjoying a glass of wine. We can take road trips with our family or friends, fly somewhere, take a train. Go on hikes, fish, float down a river, take a boat ride... All kinds of things.
B is heading to Northern Minnesota's lake country next week. She'll be there for a month relaxing by Big Bass lake, taking saunas in the wood-fired sauna, visiting, swimming, floating on the lake, relaxing. I love Northern Minnesota and so does B. I'm lucky she introduced me to the area. We didn't have any lakes in the part of Montana I grew up in, so heading to the land of 10,000 was a treat for me. I'm not sure why I haven't been able to plan my own trip out there for awhile. I think it might be that I'm too lazy.
Now that's lazy - too lazy to plan a vacation :-)
I've got a couple of mini-vacations planned; a trip to Tahoe in late July and a trip to a summer camp in late August and I'm sure I'll figure out some other recreational activities this summer. I like just having free time to do nothing or whatever I want to do without a lot of plans to worry about.
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Growing up in Montana was wonderful in many ways. I'm really thankful for all the experiences I had in and around my small town. One small thing that I learned was the importance of self-sufficiency. You'll discover that trait in many people that grew up in farming areas in families that were not well off.
Specifically I'm thinking about the ability to take care of and maintain things. If a farmer has a piece of equipment break down they will do everything they can to fix it before ever thinking about bringing it to a shop or calling a mechanic to come out. People that live in the country learn to fix stuff out of necessity. You learn the basics of engine repair and you learn a lot about jury-rigging stuff to keep it going. I was also lucky to learn a bit more about fixing things while in the Navy and while working as a traveling cash register/computer repairman in Montana. You get to learn to work under pressure when a stores cash registers/computers conk out.
The ability to use tools, to fix stuff, comes in handy. It's a source of pride for me and gives me satisfaction to get a small engine going, or a washing machine, dryer, hot water heater, a furnace, computer, fix little things, etc. It's interesting to take things apart and see how they are built. My grandmother gave me clocks and other small things to practice on when I was a wee lad. I think I have a genetic disposition for tinkering that came from my maternal grandfather, a machinist who designed and built his own speedboat and a small gas-powered car for his daughters among other things. He was killed in an accident on his Harley before I was born, but my grandmother and mom told us the stories and showed us the pictures. In a way I always thought it was kind of cool to think about my grandfather when kids were talking about their old decrepit grandpappys and I could think about my Harley-riding grandfather.
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There's a couple of themes in the devotionals I read this morning that are connected. The first is a story about a guy named Joe who was an alcoholic living in a shelter. At some point Joe found the Lord as they say. He didn't go around preaching but rather was known for his willingness to do the dirty jobs - cleaning toilets, mopping up vomit from the drunks, visiting with the depressed or sick people around him - lending a helping hand and a listening ear. One day during the service at the shelter a repentant drunk kept praying and shouting, "Make me like Joe."
The minister is feeling a bit uncomfortable with the display and says, "Don't you mean make me like Jesus?"
The man pauses and then asks, "Was he like Joe?"
The other theme is from the gospel of Matthew. It asks and answers the question - "Where do we find God?"
Matthew 25:31-40 (NRSV)
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing,I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.'"
You never know when you are going to run into God, I think he or she might surprise the heck out of us every so often by showing up as a person who has exactly what we need in a given moment. What we need isn't always for someone to do something for us - Sometimes what we need most of all is to be of service to another. To let go of our ego, work from the inside out, filled with love and compassion, step out of our comfort zone and realize how blessed we are to have been given the opportunity and the wherewithal to make a difference, no matter how small in anothers life.
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The timers going off on the oven telling me the pumpkin pie I'm baking is done so I'll be signing off for now.
Enjoy the day, the summer - the moment. We're only here for a short time, make it the best life possible. Remember to breathe...nice and deep, slow down, feel the sunshine.
