Mentors are Golden

For as long as we had cable in our apartments, I have been a fan of Mike Rowe.  His show Dirty Jobs has highlighted jobs all over the country  and the silent heroes that make our life possible. I have found him thoughtful, as he testified to congress on the lack of skilled labor in America today and the systemic issues that underlay that problem.

This morning I stumbled upon a story Mike wrote and recorded remembering his mentor Fred King. I encourage you to grab the audio file and sit with a nice beverage or in the car on your next 30 min. car ride and listen to they story.  You will be glad you did.

Photo credit: mconnors from morguefile.com

Fighting the Wind

The seasons have been changing for a little while now. The weather is now finally to a point where we can get out our bikes and ride.

I love cycling. I love the freedom and the speed and the feeling of finishing a long ride.  Today, however, was one of those adventure days.  The wind was blowing.  It wasn't constant but there were moments when I rounded a corner and got blasted by a gust.  And it didn't stop there.  Head down and peddling hard, there were times that I would get hit by another shot that made me wonder how much longer I could keep this up.

I think there are many times that we feel as though we are peddling into the wind.  It is hard, but I know I am a better rider for taking it on.   Challenges in life breed strength. Even when it feels as though you are getting hit by a gust, thank God that he provides the stength to keep peddling and thank God for the things he is teaching you.

Thoughts on Climbing

Recently I went to North Conway, NH on an ice climbing trip with some of Bethany's family. It was basically amazing. Besides being bit by the climbing bug pretty bad, bad enough to start a membership at Vertical Endeavors , I saw lessons about life that were rolled into the climbing experience. I want to post a few thoughts about this trip.

Most things in life are deceptively safe. Walking down the street, driving down the road and plugging in a toaster: life is full of danger. Most of these dangers aren't something that we normally recognize.

Standing below the cliff on the second day, I couldn’t believe that we were going to climb to the top. Just the day before, I was so frustrated trying to learn how to use these new tools.  But I had things I could trust to keep me safe.

I trusted my gear. We used climbing ropes both to tie into each other and to tie ourselves to the rock. We trusted our ropes and harnesses to keep us safe. In a way it was comforting to have something to check and re-check.  We also used crampons and ice tools that made it possible climb vertical sheets of ice.

More importantly I trusted my partner. Dan was an experienced climber. He had been traveling to this area for the last 7 years climbing. I knew that when I fell, he would have the end of the rope. I can count on him. When I asked him if he thought I could make this climb, his affirmation gave me courage to face the climb.

When we say we trust God, I think often times we have a disconnect of what that actually means. When I am climbing, trusting my rope means betting my life that it will keep me safe. I want to trust God like that.

Today is the day...

I was really challenged by an article I read today, sent by Rev. Thomas Gold is his November prayer letter. (Thomas is a dear friend of ours. He is the pastor who married us and a wise man from whom we often seek counsel. Thomas used to head up the College and Career ministry at Friendship Church in Minnesota, where Nate attended.)

The article challenges readers to stop delaying and act now, today. Life on earth is fleeting and we only get one chance to live through it, before eternity in heaven. So what is holding us back from truly living out the gospel on earth, while we still have the opportunity? Why aren't we loving our neighbor, selflessly loving our spouse, honoring our parents, and telling the world about Jesus? Our life here on earth is perhaps only a blip on the radar, in comparison to our eternal life...but it's still an important blip and one we shouldn't waste. Wow...that's convicting.

Obviously, its our sin that so entangles us and holds us back from truly living Christ-like lives. But that may look different for everyone. For me, I think I tend to be held back from action by insecurities, fear of rejection, and the "tyrany of the urgent"... getting caught up in tasks that appear to be urgent at the time, but in the grand scheme of things really aren't as important as I make them out to be. This article was a good reminder that I need to surrender my time, money, actions and life more fully.

My mind goes to Hebrews 13...here are the first 6 verses, with emphasis added (by me) on verse 6. This is a reminder of how we should live and the confidence we have in the Lord.

"Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
'Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.' So we say with confidence,
'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?' "

we are to that point

We are to the point where whenever we say our wedding date, the other person's eyes get really big and they say something like, "wow that is really soon!" I think it is one of the only times that we as a couple are wandering around on the cusp of a major life change and don't really physically appear to be there yet. For example, if we were having baby, it would be pretty obvious if you just looked at Bethany (especially 3 weeks before the due date!). I guess maybe we would be in this position if we were adopting a child. But even that is so much more private, there isn't the same comparison.

It is a fascinating proposition, to stare at yourself in the mirror and say, "I am right on the edge of a story that I will tell for the rest of my life." There is a surreal quality to all of this. I felt this way acutely when I was in Bosnia for my internship. People would tell me, and I would tell myself, that this experience will shape how I view the world for a long time. So what exactly does the monumental feel like? Is it supposed to be that much different than a normal Tuesday?

I guess I am just marveling at the fact that in the end it will be exactly like everyone says. I will forget what I did most Tuesdays or even most Saturday nights for that matter. But on April 18th something mystical and lovely is going to happen. And it will shape how I think and feel and see the world for the rest of my life. And there really isn't anything that I can do to make most Saturdays more normal and that day any less abnormal - in a good way. I think the best I can do is to ride it out. Ride the emotional and surreal waves of life and drink what I can from those cups while they are my table for that day.