Reminders

They're everywhere... reminders of Ireland. I was just walking around doing some Christmas shopping. I saw a Borat DVD and a set of The Vicar of Dibley episodes and immediately found my mind with some friends in Dublin. And found myself smiling. I turned on the radio and heard a version of Amazing Grace that an Irish friend introduced me to, and then found myself a bit emotional. I like it though, the little reminders. It shows how closely my life in Ireland and my life here mesh. They're not mutually exclusive.

Cold is another reminder. This morning I took my puppy for a little walk through the snow frosted streets. She gets a little excited when we're outside, so we'd sprint every now and then to let out the energy. Those times of running made my face burn with cold. But I like that. Reminds me that I'm alive. A handful of my favorite experiences abroad are coupled with intense cold. Swimming in the Irish Sea, standing on top of the Eiffel Tower, sleeping in a tent in Florence, outside at a rugby match... Very cold... Very alive. I think it's fantastic that God created cold and that our senses can perceive the differences in temperature. It makes me more than a little happy to feel that same sensation here as I did on the hills of Glendalough. Even if the similarity is small... it's there.

I had coffee with my dear friend Jamie this morning. We are both finding ourselves in a place of transition, going from something so loved and so ideal to a place seemingly less inspiring. We believe in God. We believe that He has asked us to live a full life, one characterized by freedom and light. It's true that God is bringing me back to Cedarville and the cornfields of Ohio. And it's true that Jamie has to start a new job. But it's also true that it's still an adventure to be lived with our God, just because that's HIS nature. That reminder was exciting to me. It doesn't cancel out emotions connected with ending a elated, joyous phase. It raises hopes and expectations of what is to come. And I'm increasingly comfortable being uncomfortable in that tension. I am reminded that Jesus is more creative than I am.