Giving and Taking

As a sit here during class, I am reminded of the last four years of Seminary. At first, I was excited and eager to sit through every lecture and soak up every scrap of information. I soon realized that most hour classes could be boiled down to just a few sentences worth of notes. I struggle with the classes where we are required to take so many pages of notes per class to turn in as a notebook at the end of the semester. The teachers talk on and on and on (not all of my classes are this way, some have been very helpful and informative) and on and on and on and I can capture all of the information they go on about for an hour in about 1 page. Either I'm so exceptionally intelligent that I easily comprehend and absorb information that it takes others an hour to understand or I'm so exceptionally unintelligent that it all goes over my head. A couple of days ago in a language class, we spent an hour discussing one verse of the introduction of a book. There is good information there. It's helpful and provides a deeper understanding of the text, but come on an hour on one verse? Surely we can absorb and digest information faster than that. I told the class that, but it didn't go over so well. I guess I get bored quickly or maybe I'm too stupid to understand what it is that it takes them an hour to understand, but I think most people just like to hear themselves talk. Apparently, I'm included in that because I have a blog where I drone on and on and on and on just to hear myself talk. It's kind of frustrating.

Why am I writing about this? I don't really know. It's just that I've spent four years getting ready to go out and work in the world. I'm ready to go and help start a new church. But, as I approach the final year when I'm about to leave, I find myself reluctant to leave. Why, you ask? Well, over the past year, Brittney and I have gotten to be very good friends our neighbors Jonathan and Kristine. Don't get me wrong we have other good friends, but Jonathan and Kristine are our age and in the same place in life that we are. They didn't have any kids (Niah is almost here) and we just kind of fit well together. About nine months ago, they told us that Krisine was pregnant and we've been waiting anxiously for Hana Niah to show up. We're all waiting with our phones close at hand for the time when we'll get the call that it's time to go to the hospital. We're excited about this cool little life that is part Jonathan and part Kristine (and an Arkansas by birth, by the grace of God). The sad part is that we're moving in May. We'll only get to be around Niah, Jonathan, and Kristine for a few more months.

I guess I'm just frustrated. I spent four years getting through school trying to make it go as fast as possible and it went as slowly as possible. Now I want it to slow down and it's the fastest semester yet. The Lord Giveth and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord. He knows better than me, and it's a good thing, too, because if I had always had what I wanted, things would be pretty messed up. So, I'm excited for Jonathan and Kristine and I'm thankful for the teachers that droned on and on and on, because it's all worked out for the best so far, and it will keep on working for the best as long as I'm not in charge.

And I Never, Ever, Ever Do a Thing About the Weather, 'Cause the Weather Never, Ever Does a Thing For Me

Firstly, bonus points to those of you (like there are even five people who read this) who laughed and understood the title. Alice In Wonderland, how shall I say, Rocks My Socks! (I think that's what you kids are saying these days.)

It is currently fifteen minutes after midnight on the second day of Febuary and I just came in from walking in the snow. Why was I walking in the snow? Well, as you know, it almost never snows in Arkansas, at least not in the places I've lived in the last 21 years. When you get snow, you enjoy it. And this isn't really Arkansas snow either. Arkansas snow is 1 part snow, 1 part ice, and 1 part freezing rain. You take what you can get, but the snow that's falling tonight is real snow. This is movie snow. This is the snow that makes a story romantic or a graveyard peaceful. This is fluffy white goodness sucked from the sky. This is like a pauper looking in a rich man's window. These are flakes, actual flakes, of snow. They glide down, assaulting the dirty winter landcape in a blanket of uniformity. It's like the calming touch of a woman's presence in the midst of a house full of guys. It blankets everything without discretion in forgiveness for its ugliness and lack of color. It decorates with uniformity, maintaining an outline of its canvas's original self, but giving a touch of itself to the design.

Ok, so I'm waxing into what is dangerously close to bad poetry (like there's any other kind), but the snow really is cool. So, I just wanted to say, "Thanks God. Thanks for the snow. Thanks for this little glimpse of the first class that is Heaven". It makes even this ugly world seem divine.