Fall is upon us. The dampness has turned to wet and the sunshine of summer has faded. I can almost count on two hands the number of times my walking partners and I have abandoned our lunchtime ritual due to high moisture. Today might have been one of those days. But it wasn't. Here we are at the top of Pioneer Street, standing in a circle. Contemplating. Do we turn back? The thick raindrops were pelting us, discouraging us from our essential daily routine. Naw! I needed that walk today. It'll be okay. So Jenn and I switched coats because mine had a hood and I didn't care if the rain soaked my head. At least I'll know I got out of the four walls of my office and went for a walk. Drowned rat was talked about but I said I don't look like one anyways. Ha ha. So we continued on, up. Around the corner the rain was relentless. "Lord" I said. "You've given us so many days of sunshine, where are you today".
Lament. The word came up in a sermon I watched last night. Pastor Rick Warren was talking about loss, grieving and how to successfully get through the tough times. Lament. He said it was to "cry out to God" and that it is a form of worship and is one of the steps to walking through grief. I shared this with my walking partners, my authentic community. As we gained elevation, the rain subsided. We were relieved. Our walking was quick and steady today as if we all had renewed energy. As many of our days, our conversation was a time of sharing and reflecting.
I don't know when the rain began again, lightly; but it had to have been on the down stretch. None of us minded at that point, we were doing what we do every day and the air and talk of Jesus gave us an extra lift. One of the things Pastor Warren said is that "God hates loneliness". Pretty sure that is why He gave me dear friends.
No comments:
Post a Comment