Last night I woke up in the middle of the night to the howling wind. I listened as the wind whipped around my house and sounded like it was destroying limbs and branches on every tree nearby. I wasn’t afraid. In fact I found myself smiling, not wanting to fall back asleep. Because this was the second night in a row that the weather was flirting with me. The night before I woke up to one of the most impressive thunder and lightning storm I may have ever witnessed. It was incredible. I knew that I was loved.
I have always had an inclination to nature oddities, and for some strange reason I believe that God is trying to tell me that He has everything in control during these times. In 1997 El Nino hit the California cost, and I was living in the San Francisco Bay area. One particular night I stood by the Light House in Santa Cruz while waves from the ocean broke over the sea wall and onto the road. I was ecstatic. God was in control of the waves. I clearly was not. I felt loved.
I’m not sure how to express my thankfulness other than, I’m glad that He speaks my Love Language.
I don’t typically have a addictive personality. I’ve never really been addicted to anything. I have a bunch of likes and preferables, but no real have-too’s and must-haves. Ever since I was a wee little lad I’ve wanted to collect something. I’ve tried Baseball cards, and decided that I liked the 16 year old piece of gum that was included more than I enjoyed the cards themselves. After baseball cards came hats. I loved hats, big hats, small hats, silly hats, and sports hats. Then my hair got too big and I could no longer wear hats. Lame. My worst collection of sorts was Hawaiian shirts. My wife still reminds me of that horrible misguided phase in my life.
These days I’ve found a new vice. Shoes. Specifically Chuck Taylor All Stars. More specifically Low-top Chuck Taylor All Stars. I’ve got a couple pairs. How many you ask? I’m not telling. But you can check out some pics here: Part of D’Art’s Chuck Taylor Collection
Enjoy.
New Years thoughts. 2008 was a year of process. Between the promise and the payoff there is always a process. The process is the part where God goes silent, where you don’t know if you are still on the path, because all of a sudden you’re not walking anymore, but you’ve found yourself swimming, just trying to keep your head above water. The process is the part where you feel like giving up, giving in, giving out, giving anything just to get some release from the pressure of life. The process is where men are made, and boys die. The process is the place where diamonds turn from just a lump of coal into the worlds most precious gem. The process is where the magic happens. And if I were to be true to myself, I would say that I hate the process. No matter how beneficial the process is, whenever I’m in the process, it’s no fun. It’s painful. It bites. I hate the process.
I’m guessing that 2009 will also be a year of process. My hope for 2009 is that no matter how much I hate the process, that I’ll embrace it. That I’ll learn from it. That the process wouldn’t break me, but that it would shape me. I hope that the pain of the process wouldn’t be lost, but that it would be driven to inspire.
My hope is the same for you. Happy New Year.
