I love the Fall. I love the smell of wet leaves and fires,
real wood fires, burning in fireplaces. I love the shorter days and the warmth
of houses as the lights start coming on around 7. I love the excitement around
football season. I even like the horror movie season. I am not a big fan of Pumpkin
Spice Latte, those who have been around me know I always drink quad shots of espresso,
but I do like the way they smell and the ambiance of those packed into a Starbucks
waiting to get their palate satisfied. Fall is and always has been my favorite
time of the year.
I usually start reading Lord of the Rings during this time
of the year. I have read the series at least 15 times in my life and when I am
finished with school, I will continue that tradition. There is something so
comforting about starting an adventure with a hobbit as my summer adventure
ends. Fall to me is about tradition and recently I have had some pretty big
changes in my life. Some good, some pretty bad and yet when this time of the
year rolls around something always calls me back to good memories.
I had a conversation with a very dear friend the other
night. In fact we were up until 130 talking about the future and what it might
hold. There are lots of questions about tomorrow for both of us as it seems we
are both starting our lives all over again. That is a little scary sometimes
and it reminds us that we have no real control over the future. I think we both
realized that we need to take life very slow right now and to keep in mind that
we are on a different kind of course than most people. It was a good
honest conversation and I began to really think about things as I drove back to
Wilmore.
One thing that has really hit me this week is how thankful I
am that God has me at Asbury this year. I am really missing Will and this
season is going to be especially hard. This time last year was very special as
we had the opportunity to spend a lot of time together. Prior to the final
divorce decree our time together was very limited. When we finally got the
father/son time awarded us, I made it a priority to really focus on him and we
had a lot of fun together. There were bonfires and festivals. There were trips to Halloween Express and lots of Scooby Doo movies. We spent the
shorter nights reading together and I got to spend Halloween with him. That was
his favorite holiday and I still can see his picture in his pink power ranger
costume. Never was a fan of that and I bought him a Red Power Ranger costume
and he wore it almost continuously. It was a wonderful time and I really got
the opportunity to establish my role as his father. I am so very thankful for
that time.
Asbury is offering me a haven from all those memories of
time with Will at home. This is my time to heal and I am sure that God called
me here to eliminate that distraction. I kept wondering why the call to come
here was so strong, especially since I have so many things I am getting
involved in at home. The conversation I noted earlier and my continued thinking
about where this ministry is going really hammered me about purpose and
direction this week. Again being at Asbury this year is offering a very focused
time to spend with God, in a way I can't begin to describe. I am not only
getting the chance to develop mentally but also to recover my Spiritual and
Physical life components as well. What a blessing to be in a place where God is
so present and to be in deep conversation with him.
This week has been another tough week academically and my
brain is turning to mush faster and faster as the semester progresses. I have
started to take walks when my brain starts to shut down. Today after three
hours of reading an ancient writing and trying to decipher the authors
understanding of the Incarnation, I decided it was time to take a break. I
started along my usual path. Today it felt like fall. I even caught the whiff
of a fireplace burning. The sky was overcast. The wind was blowing cold and you
could feel the world slowing down. My thoughts went straight to Will but it was
comforting and I was really enjoying the walk. About 1/3 of the way on my
course it started to rain, light and drizzly. I thought about turning back but
I remembered that one of the reasons I was here was to push past all this pain
and discouragement and finish what I started. I took this thought on my walk
with an attitude of dedication.
When I made it half way, the rain and the wind were picking
up and now I had no choice. I was half way home in either direction and I
trudged on beginning to feel a little uncomfortable. By the time I could see
the campus it was a torrential downpour. The temperature was dropping and the
wind was picking up. It hit me that this is indicative of so many things in my
life and I started to laugh. God brought me here to spend time with Him and to
face challenges I had never faced successfully by myself. I had started out to
clear my brain and ended up on a grand adventure with God and it only took a
couple of miles. I realized as uncomfortable as I felt at times, this was a
wonderful time and I am grateful for this experience.
The rain was apparently so bad that a man in a pickup truck
actually offered me a ride. Yes, he was very kind to offer and I can only
imagine his thoughts when I looked up and said, "No thank you, I am
actually enjoying myself. I could not help but laugh and smile all the way back
to my dorm. I was dancing in the rain in my heart and I felt the Holy Spirit
settle on my soul as I trudged forward. My body was still uncomfortable but my
Spirit was alive.
Everything is going to work out, God has this and I am
grateful for His presence in my life. By the time I got back to the dorm I was
soaked but the rain had stopped. I took a warm shower and the decided to tell
my friends about the experience. All this and I still I still have time to work
on that paper and then worship God tonight........I am loving life even if I
hurt sometimes.