Today is my birthday.
Yes, I was born on St. Valentine's Day.
No, it is the same day every year.
Trust me.
I should know.
It has been a wonderful day so far. Here are the highlights of the things I'm grateful for thus far today...
My new mattress top.
Over the last few months, I've been waking up in pretty bad pain and generally not sleeping well. Why? Well, our mattress sucks is my hypothesis. My in-law's gave us a memory foam topper for our bed. I slept amazingly well last night! And I woke up pain free. I could kiss the inventor of memory foam.
Waking up and having coffee.
I do this every day but it never loses its charm on me.
My son's quiet presence.
Though fighting a soar throat, my Matty came into the dining room, pulled a chair close to mine and sat quietly next to me while I finished a paper for school. It was a sweet gift.
My brother's constant reminder of how old I am.
Thank God for text messaging! I have the deepest respect and love for my brother. But neither of us like to talk on the phone much. So, texting works for us. This morning, I was greeted with, "Holy Cow! You're so old!" (Although, he misspelled, like three words.) I hope he knows that the he's only person that I allow to get away with this to the extent that he does.
A steady stream of birthday wishes on Facebook.
I'm filthy rich in friends. Really. It's crazy. And I am so grateful for all of them. Thanks, everyone.
My newly hemmed jeans.
Yes, those are my ugly feet. I told Brooke her web traffic might bomb by putting those things up. But, hey, it's her site.
Work
This week is a busy week. My day will be very full today, not really much downtime to celebrate. But I am thoroughly okay with that. I am really grateful for the work I have and enjoy it (almost) all the time.
The graphic above.
Because it is awesome. After seeing this picture, every rocker wishes they could make flames come out of their fingers for that moment at the concert when the power ballad begins.
My valentine.
Seriously. Have you seen the woman I'm married to!? Everyday, I wake up next to this woman and am ridiculously grateful for her. I still feel like George McFly winning over Lorraine. "How'd I get this girl?!" I am frequently informed, "Dude, you married up." It's the truth. And I am forever grateful for her love.
Happy Valentine's Day to the rest of you.
If you can't read it, here's what is says:
To the dad in charge of all dads,
Let your name be prized.
Let peace spread.
Give us your strength every day.
We ask you to forgive us as will others too.
Keep us away from evil.
Amen.
The latest musical find that I've been enjoying lately is The Sway Machinery. The group brings a funk effect to Jewish folk influenced tunes. It's brilliant, makes you wish you spoke Hebrew (unless you already do), and need to shake your money maker all at the same time. Visit their music page and find some free downloads. You can check them out on NPR as well. Enjoy!
I haven't written about the temporary shelter project at FPC for a while. And the reason is that I've struggled with how to continue to write about this. This grows difficult because this isn't simply a project; it is the names and faces of those that are our guests. They are becoming friends. You don't blog about every conversation you have with your friends, giving physical description of them, etc. Outside of select circumstances, that would be an invasion. Yet, this reveals something that is often lost for those living on the streets: dignity.
The process of living on the streets is dehumanizing. Without realizing it, those of us that are not on the streets view homeless folks differently. Saying you are homeless somehow places you a level below those with homes. Even for those that serve the homeless out of godly desires for justice and mercy are effected by this. In continuing to write, I want to be careful of not allowing these new friends to appear as subjects in an experiment. Certainly, what we have embarked on is an experiment. But it is only one in so much that two groups of people (those housed and those not) are attempting to find ways to work towards change, and follow our convictions.
Change? Yes, each of us--hosts and guests--would like to see the situation of each guest change. But when you strive to treat people humanely, this becomes a task unique to each individual. There is not one answer. And as weeks go by, it becomes clearer and clearer how much needs to change in the hearts of those hosting each night. When the subtle sense of superiority over another set of human beings creeps into our hearts we begin to act as gods--beings above others. And this, we Christians believe, is idolatry. Therefore, we too are in need of change.
One might assume that one change is internal and one external. But this would be wrong. The change for both begins internally. Our perception of ourselves has to change first before we will find the motivation to change how we act, how we treat others, how we live.
Convictions? Yes, Scriptures tell us to take care of those in need. In the process, we wrestle with the tension of seeking justice and extending mercy. One one hand, we know systemic problems must change (justice). But this does not impact the fact that we are called to offer a helping hand without strings attached (mercy). We are not a service of the State or a non-profit agency. We are a church and we wrestle to find the place where we do both justice and mercy with humility.
But it is not only the hosts that are following conviction. Read the Gospels, or the narrative of Abraham in Genesis, and see what you find about hospitality. Hospitality is as often received as given by those who follow the Triune God. In fact, Jesus made a practice of inviting himself into other people's homes. And if you have read anything on the Missio Dei throughout Scripture you will know that receiving hospitality plays a significant role in the formation of how we understand mission.
So, my hope is that in these brief weeks, these new friends--both guests and hosts--know a little more of their worth. Not just before humankind, but before God as well. More thoughts later on...
