A Brief Interruption

This weekend was a breath of fresh air – a much needed escape from the daily grind. I love the little interruptions to the predictable pattern that life can become.

I jumped at the chance to road trip up north a couple hours with two of my favorite girls, Lili and Stacey. We stopped at a newly acquired friend’s house on the way up and were welcomed with open arms and feed with generous spirits. We left there after a couple hours with full bellies, hot tea for my cough, and a bag full of strawberry flavored vitamin C drops for us sickies. Trips can be much more pleasant without the sniffles, tissues, coughs, and sneezes, but we weren’t about to let those petty things stop us.

The trip on the whole was great, but here are a few things that stuck out:

• Funky and eclectic coffeehouses are much more desirable than college freshmen costumes parties. We arrived at our destination to find a houseful of young’ins looking for more beer and for their identities. We quickly hightailed it to a favorite spot of Stacey’s and mine – Stuart’s – a coffeehouse that serves up doses of caffeine, hippy patrons, occasional live music, and plenty of places to sit and contemplate, or enjoy company.

• Late on Saturday night, while the NyQuil was taking effect, Stacey started asking the really deep questions such as, “If you could be any animal, what would you choose?” Even more random than the question was Lili promptly yelling from the next room, “A penguin!” Why a penguin? I’m not really sure. Why she had that pre-contemplated? I wonder even more. Next on the deep question list from Ms. Rich, “If you could be any person in the world, who would you be?” I had a cool revelation as I pondered my answer. “I don’t think I would want to be anyone other than myself. My life isn’t grand and splendid all the time, and I’m not really sure what my next step will be at the moment, but overall I wouldn’t change much.” It’s a great thing to come to the conclusion that you are content with who you are. Not content as in there is nothing further for me to attain to, but content as in I am happy with who Christ has made me and who He is shaping me to be.

• I was able to attend a service at Christ the King, a church I’ve heard much about and couldn’t wait to visit. The pastor, Grant, spoke of what our focus should be – reaching out and saving that which is lost. He used the example of the original Humane Society – those who would row out to shipwrecks to save souls before the Coast Guard eventually took over. They still have banquets today to remember the “good ol’ days” even though they no longer participate in their mission. I never want to come to the place where I bask in the memories of old while no longer pursuing that which Christ has called me to – to join in His mission of reaching lost people.

While driving home laughing at new inside jokes, I smiled with thankfulness at how God chooses to bless me – with friends who allow me to completely be myself, and the reminder of my purpose here on earth and what is truly fulfilling.