I have pondered what to
call this new blog, and believe that it shall be called “the Journey”.
Perhaps a short
explanation of how I came to be engaged in this journey is appropriate. Earlier this year, my brother-in-law, Chris
called my son Erik and asked if Erik would like to come to Colorado for an extended
stay. Chris is visiting Vietnam for personal
and humanitarian reasons. Chris is a
Vietnam era veteran and that is all I am comfortable sharing as I respect his
privacy about his own life’s adventures.
He has shared more with me, but that is specifically private
information, and, it is not my story. Erik
politely declined as he’s busy working, going to school and being 22 years
old. So, Muggy and I discussed the
notion of one of us going instead.
I first asked Muggy if
she wanted to go and she was quick to say it did not interest her, and then she
asked if I would like to go. I was
immediately intrigued. After a short
conversation we both agreed that I should set things in motion to come to
Colorado. This was a decision made with
a reasonable level of serious consideration as I will be here for five weeks. I contacted Chris and expressed my interest
and he was happy to have me be willing to come.
As it turns out, the “duty” end of the trip is a little more than
watching Chris’ home. I’m also becoming
close friends with Diane’s dog, Skipper.
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| Skipper and me. |
But, the “duty” piece of
this is minor. Sure, one needs to be
alert of being in someone else’s home and such for an extended period of time;
and, having the responsibility of another’s dog is, to me, daunting. I can only assume that Skipper is a very
important part of Diane’s life. I have
been entrusted to care for and become friends with her dog; probably one of her
best friends! That is something I take
very seriously and I look forward to getting to know Skipper.
The larger aspect of this
trip, in my mind, is a spiritual journey and a greater understanding of
self.
Let me elaborate a
bit. I’ve been “called” to the mountains
here in southwest Colorado; and believe me, it is beautiful. However, mountains have particular meaning to
me. I’ve learned that whenever God
called someone up to the mountains it was so the individual could be closer
(physically, mentally and spiritually) to Him.
In my thinking, when I am in a valley, those impossibly challenging
times which can bring us to our knees in terms of harshness, hurt, loss and so
forth, we are really having a mountaintop experience. There is something to be learned and God
wants us closer to Him to learn whatever it is He has for us. And my journey began last week, (well, my
journey began long before that in the sense that my entire life is a journey of
learning and experience!) when I went to our property in Tennessee. I was there for just a couple of days, but
once again, it was a mountain prelude (Appalachians/Smokies) to my Rocky
Mountains experience. Some may think me
over analytical, but this is the way I perceive my life and experiences.
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| View from the backyard! |
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| View from the front yard!! |
I’ve chosen to be
actively engaged in the spiritual aspect of who I am and that, to me, opens up
huge opportunities for growth, learning, experience and, hopefully,
understanding.
Why am I compelled to
write these things? I do so because it
enables me to better and more deeply understand what I’m experiencing. Why am I compelled to share these things with
others? Ahh, that is a good question.
I begin from the
assumption that anyone who reads this is interested in what’s being said. I’ve been told by several individuals that
they have enjoyed my blogs in the past. (For other blogs I’ve done, check out www.charmin13.blogspot.com or http://hanson-road-trip-america.blogspot.com/
). I’m thankful and humbled by such comments and
thoughts. Writing, in and of itself
causes me to much more carefully consider what it is that I’m thinking because I
am taking time to accurately (or, at least as accurately as possible) put my
thoughts into words on a page. As we all
know far too well, our lives are fast-paced and far too often we live life at a
superficial level. That sounds like a
judgment. I don’t mean it that way. It’s simply that life is demanding and fast
and many times does not allow for deeper consideration of what’s going on in
each of our lives. I’ve been given a
gift in having this time of solitude and I willing choose to share my thoughts
and experiences with whoever may be interested.
There are a multitude of
facets to the “why” I am here. I’ve
recently completed the facilitation/administration of a seven-week series for
the men of our church and I am relieved to have this time to re-energize. I was needed here to enable Chris and Diane to
take their journey of a lifetime. Sure,
someone else could have been here, but I’m pleased that it turned out to be me. Maybe, in the grand scheme of things, there
wasn’t anyone else who should be here right now. Someone else could be here, but I should be here. Even at the ripe old age of 61 years, I am
still anxious to learn more about myself, about the world around me, about God. Honestly, the aforementioned series was quite
challenging to see to fruition. It
required obedience on my part to something I believe God wanted me to do. With that now complete, I am anxious for my
next lesson, or challenge, or experience, or whatever it is! I believe that if one chooses to operate in
the spiritual, your steps are directed.
When my steps are directed it means that I have appointments. I call these divine appointments because I
didn’t make them; my God made them. It
is incumbent upon me to look for, to seek and to action these appointments.
So, if you’re interested,
come along with me on this journey. If
you care to share what’s written, please feel free to do so. I have established settings on this blog to
allow for comments, but a lot of times the comments don’t show. I have not figured that out yet but I’m
working on it. If you care to comment,
please do so.
