Time has not allowed me to simply write for the pure enjoyment of it lately.

However, I'm outmaneuvering this ridiculous excuse by choosing to write.

Life is full and beautiful.

I'm not sure there is another way to express it.

The last Sunday - on my Sabbath - it was drizzling and gray. Horrible English weather that I have (thankfully!) not experienced much. But, I resolved that skin is waterproof (and supposedly my jacket is also) and went on my adventure anyway.

The jacket is not waterproof. At least, it is not after an hour of steady rainfall.

My destination, a good ten miles away, was never reached. I was forced to abandon the flight plan midway for the sake of warm clothes.

On my way back, there was a narrow bend in the road, where I needed to cycle on the sidewalk, since a car was coming up behind me. Instead of gracefully rising over the curb, my tire lost traction, and I fell. (Which, according to my scars on my body, is not an abnormal occurrence for poor Child.) The kind people in the car pulled over to check on me. They could not fit me in their car, but they invited me over to their home to dry off and drink tea. (And thankfully, I was not hurt badly from the fall!)

At their home, I had the most delightful time. Kris and Kim have a wonderful family of three children. They took such good care of me. They gave me dry clothing, fed me, and I got to just bask in their love for one another as a family. I cannot explain what I felt except that it was sheer joy in knowing that my Daddy (God) was looking out for me. I had been so cold (and miserable after falling) that I was beyond thankful to be in a warm home (both metaphorically and literally.) The kids were so much fun to play with. There is something so unique about the way a child perceives the world.

Not only did they give me tea, pizza, and a new shirt to keep, we began conversing about churches. They had just been coming back from church and had strangely taken the wrong turn when they saw me fall. At that time, they had been searching for a place to whip a u-turn. (So my sneaking suspicion is that God pushed me off my bike to allow our meeting!) They pointed me to their church for an evening service. After a couple weeks of going to a church that does not feel at home, the visit to their church was amazing. What do you know... God has a plan.

The oddity is that the whole story can be seen as a superb metaphor. Life is like a rainy day sometimes. You're riding along the wet roads, minding your own business, when a puny curb decides to make your life difficult. Your tire loses traction, and you hit the ground. In shock and the agony of pain, you retreat for cover under a tree nearby, bleeding and alone. Yet, not alone. Suddenly, a person comes to take you into their home, bind your wounds, feed you, and clothe you. Godsend, anyone? What's that verse about feeding the hunger, giving drink, clothing the naked, and doing this to the least of these is actually for Christ? It's an image of God-given unmerited grace to us, then given by us to others. Hopefully, it's contagious.

It also goes to show that God has a plan (echo?)... even for the crap happenings of life.

He is good. Simon (a staff member here) says that statement is the core of faith. I agree.