Today's been one of those absolutely wonderful spring days. Warm enough for shorts and t-shirt, growing things coming up everywhere, friendly breeze, beautiful sunny day.
After church, I took some time along one of the trails in the area. There's one couple who bikes to church from the far side of Roch. I'd like to follow their example, but today on the trail proved that I have some work to do before I can manage ten miles of hills and still arrive in semi-presentable condition.
It was cool, though. I had the odd sensation of a drive-through orchestra, different parts assigned to different bits of creation. There's one straight quarter-mile where you come in and the birds are just going nuts. It's startling, but cool - there's enough sound in the trail that it feels as though you're skating into a cloud of it. Later, on the way back, I was noting the pretty water and leaves (you can't photograph that and capture how cool it looks), and then realized that I was gliding through what could only be a cacophony of tiny frogs in rehearsal, preparing for their evening performance.
I don't know that studying music gives you a better understanding of God's creation, but I think appreciating the one makes you see it in new ways, and appreciate it all the more because of it.
Took the time to air out some bedding, including the sleeping bag I keep in my car's trunk. I unrolled it and smiled, burying my face in it. Perhaps because of the water (or perhaps because we just painted them - that was a fun day) the cabins at camp have their own unique scent, and there were still traces of it in the roll of floofiness. I keep it in the car for other times that I might need it, but obviously, none had come up since then.
Snarfed a paperback I've been meaning to read, and staked a decent spot on the back lawn. Another random Nicholas Sparks story - Lanth's a beautiful romantic and has me started on them. Message in a Bottle, so, of course, now I'm missing the ocean. I'm not sure how this will work out in my life - my love for the ocean vs. my desire to live close to my family. I suppose if I thought about it, I love the lakes and woods as much, if not more - but it's been a long time since I've been in the sea, and it's a more acute feeling.
At some point when I was getting up, had a visitor. Random moth, rather frantically tickle-fuzzing his way across my palm. It's interesting that the first instinct when you have a little scared creature is to be very still, cup around them gently, and "shhhh." I'm rather certain that the "shhhh" term doesn't have meaning to them, but maybe the feeling we're trying to project does. He calmed down, crawled his dusty little way up to my finger. Studied him for a bit.
There are always other animals all over the place, but the tiny ones are an interesting marvel. God puts that much detail into something so small - why? And yet, watching him, you really can't say that he shouldn't have. Makes me smile.
I was studying his "face" for awhile - fascinating little features - and wondering about the way he saw and regarded the world. There's a song to be found in the thoughts there - seeing Creation through the eyes of one of God's creations, but then that forgets that God created me, too. Or does it? I don't know - I think it'd be cool to write.
Thinking about my life. What's done for Christ will last. A concept I've heard before, but it's tugging at me. What about my life will last, I wonder. What have I done for the kingdom, what have I done for him, what am I going to do?
The next thought isn't meant to be taking away from that. This is still weighing on my mind, and making me look at things differently. Consider it more of a footnote.
There's an underlying message that seems to suggest that if it's not something that furthers the kingdom, then you shouldn't be doing it. I don't think that's accurate. I think there's a lot about our lives that we acknowledge is necessary, and a joy and gift God gives to us, but it doesn't bring more people to Christ. Like, making love to your wife. I don't know any serious Christian who would deny that sex is a gift from God, but I don't know that it's something that would last through the aforementioned fire after death.
And enjoying a day he's made, I think that's okay, too.
love
