Conversation Point

Walking for Doughnuts

These bright, sunny fall days inspire me to delights I haven't allowed myself in what seems like a very long time. Saturday's are time for PBS programs about wilderness vacations, living simply and eating well, and are accompanied by big bowls of popcorn (the real stuff, not microwave). George Gershwin and John Denver take turns filling my house with music while I sit on my front porch with a good book and three cats who sometimes purr simultaneously. Sleeping late and watching Oprah feel luxurious.

Among the best of these small indulgences are long walks through my neighborhood. Now that children are back in school, the dust raised by summer activity has settled into autumn peace and the rhythm of routine. The trees move gently with the breeze and leaves have already begun to fall to the ground, creating a crunchy carpet. It is good to walk, breathe fresh air and feel connected to my community. Sometimes I stretch my walk out a little further and stop in at my local coffee shop for a hot cup of hazelnut decaf and a glazed doughnut. The combination is delectable, comfortable and reminiscent of all that speaks to me of home.

While none of these small moments of life impact the world in an dramatic way, they reflect my own choice to live my life with richness. it is so incredibly easy to allow ourselves to become a part of all the frenzy, frustration and anguish that permeates the world like a sour marinade. Once we let that bitter, miserable flavor soak into our spirits that is all we taste, and life becomes pretty bitter and miserable as a whole. John's gospel quotes Jesus as saying that, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly (John 10:9-11)." Jesus' words set a clear boundary between his mission and whoever would oppose him, and makes very clear what the results of his presence in human life look like. Abundance is what happens wherever Jesus resides.

Defining what abundance is for each of us is a life's work, one intimately intertwined with how we understand our relationship with God, how that relationship informs our lives and how we choose to live them. What God has to offer us is often more than our imaginations can grasp, but it is all so easily perceived as a given, something to be taken or granted, rather than accepted with grace and gratitude. And therein lies the avenue for the belief that what God shares is not enough, which becomes the signal to accumulate everything we possible can while we can, and before anyone else can get it. Before we realize it, our lives are filed with a lot of things we couldn't care less about, while what we love best about living has shipped away like a thief in the night.

What do you love about being alive? What do you cherish most about who you are? Perhaps it is time to remember, to welcome yourself home to what is most important to you, and to give yourself permission to enjoy yourself again. Perhaps it is the best time of all to be grateful for everything you are and everything you have.

Jesus came that we may have life and have it abundantly Repeat these words to yourself a few times, and let them sink into your soul. Believe them, know in your heart that they are genuine and meant for each of us. God is generous. We are here to enjoy life. Jesus came that we may have life and have it abundantly.

posted by Cory L. Kemp @ 7:55 PM