In an instant

In our new life in Bend, we have been very active. There is a dog park super close to the house, and it's good for Arthur and for us to go there and walk the trails. A week or two ago, we were at the park and noticed an older gentlemen having some trouble trying to wedge a boulder up off the path with a long pole. Cooper jogged up the hill to where he was and offered to help him. The two of them were able to get that boulder off the path and off to the side where it belonged. We chatted for a few minutes. The gentleman was named Bob and told us he was a volunteer who loved helping out at the park keeping the trails clear and the dogs happy. He had two little dogs with him and I even took a picture of the little one named Foxy because he had the cutest face. Foxy has obviously not been photographed as much as my poor animal because he kept moving and this was the least blurry shot I got of him.

Last week when we went I saw Foxy with a different man. I didn't really think much of it. But when Cooper went this week without me one morning, he told me there was a big tribute sign up about Bob. Apparently he passed away at the park while helping. :( How quickly life can change. It is always a good reminder that we are not guaranteed tomorrow. From our 5 minutes with Bob, I gathered that he loved to serve others and found joy in the simple things in life. That inspired me and will continue to.

Without You I'm just a lump

We woke up this morning with a blanket of snow, more than just the dustings we have been getting randomly. Exciting! :) This however meant my energy level was low all day. All I wanted to do was have a grilled cheese and soup and sit on the couch under a blanket. But there is always work to do, isn't there?

In the afternoon, C and I ran to Starbucks to get out of the house for a minute and got into a spiritual chat (as we like to do). I started rambling about something that has since formed itself into a little metaphor in my brain that I feel like sharing.

There is this part of us as Christians that knows we are not in control. Yes, we make choices with our free will and Lord knows we make mistakes. But at the end of the day with many of these issues we hold in our hands (in our own minds) the anxiety we feel is self-imposed because we are not in control of the outcome.

I started thinking about the potter and the clay. What a beautiful and practical illustration that truly is! I took a ceramics class in college, and I was JUST AWFUL at it. Ha. I had fun with a friend of mine who was also in the class, but the only pot I had to show from that entire semester was misshapen and ugly. My mother still has it, but that is just because she loves me and didn't want to be mean. We both know the truth. I digress. God is the potter. He is more talented than we can ascertain at the artistry of throwing a pot. He knows how much water to put on the wheel to get the clay to the proper consistency. He knows when to mold and shape and smooth his hands on the outside of the clay to make it into the cylinder He desires it to be when it reaches its full potential.

So why then do we as the lump of clay try to help ourselves form something? What can a lump of clay do without the hands of the artist? It is just a lump of clay. It does not even have hands. It can't (no matter how hard it tries) will itself to turn into a beautiful creation.

I don't mean to say that we just sit here and wait for God to do something with us. We work with Him when we feel those powerful hands. But when we yell at the Artist, "No, it's ok--I've got this!" He must just look at us and think "No, you NEED me." Because we do.