Dem Bones

As I cycled away from my home to the starting line of the Bone to Back I wondered how difficult it would be to find my team mates, "Bone Doc and the Dislocations". Turned out they spotted me right away. I put on a bright yellow T-shirt for the day, just right because this was the team color, unbeknownst to me. That serendipity gave me a smile and assurance that this would be a good day.

The Dislocations have been running the B - B for somewhere around 20 years. The benefit race has grown from the good soil of their friendships. I will always appreciate being invited and welcome to pitch in. Speaking of pitch they agreed to let me take on the big hill part of the race, five miles pretty much straight up. I wish I could have torched the leg up for them, but feel glad to have made it without hurting myself or dying. Special thanks to the two fellas on the team who ran the last half mile or so with me to the top.

This experience is one I'll cherish. For one day life distilled into simplicity. I was a runner on a team of friends -- just that. And this was highly sufficient. Good practice for putting down the pastor's yoke in a few days.

The Present

I meet early every Tuesday with a St. Paul UMC men's Christ Care group at a local restaurant. We talk, laugh, tease the servers and also share a devotion and prayer. Today's had to do with starting each day aware of a blessing or surprise that God has prepared for us -- something we might miss if we are not paying attention. As busy men we all know how focused we can be on getting the day's work done, getting through the "to do" list, and how frustrating it can be when the day goes sideways because of unexpected crises and factors beyond our control. The message I took was to relax and be ready to go with the flow -- if life happens in a way I don't expect perhaps I can find God's blessing that I would have missed or avoided if I tried to squeeze the day too tight and be too much in control.

All this applies as my family and I are making detailed plans for travel across the country during my renewal leave. In the last few days parts of the plan we thought were set are needing to change. I'm sure once we're on the road we'll need to be flexible and adjust to the current reality. We can plan for the future, but the present will insist on it's right to be a gift!

Along those lines, today, so far, absolutely nothing I had planned has gone as I expected. But in the process of solving new problems I have enjoyed conversations with several people I had never met before, been blessed by their grace and patience, and now have prospects of meeting even more wonderful people. Though some folks might not see it as a gift, my unexpected invitation to join a team of doctors and their friends and families on a relay team for the To Bone and Back race is just a fun thing. I'll be hoofing it up Saturday up in the east hills above Idaho Falls along with a bunch of other crazy people who love to run to the point where a little hurt becomes a lot of satisfaction -- especially done in good fellowship.

BTW most of my critters are adopted out! There are still a few dewey eyed stuffed animals and puppets awaiting a summer vacation. Two Sundays left! Come on by and take a furry friend home with you.