it isn’t what. it is why.

I kind of feel a bit responsible. I told her she needed to talk to him tonight. This can’t wait until Tuesday. It isn’t fair for her to go through the weekend — you know, with all the stress that causes sleepless nights.

I saw her name on my caller id a few hours later. I wasn’t really sure what to expect because there were so many signs pointing in so many directions — we didn’t know which path would be taken.

Then she spilled it. The very thing she had been preparing for just happened. Her questions about the distancing had been answered.

I sympathize with her. A loss of friendship is never easy. But through her preparation — she’ll know healing & growth better than before.

She’s on the edge of something huge. I just know it. I can smell it. I can hear it. I see it in her eyes. I’m convinced that letting go allows your hands to be open for the next thing that comes your way. She will be ready. And when she catches it, she will rise and soar — it will pull her out of this valley she’s been walking through for nearly 2 years.

It might catch her by surprise. And I hope it does. I can’t wait for it.

Ever so often a good friend walks through my office door and sits down on the chair in front of my desk. I love when people feel comfortable to stop and chat about life as they’re passing through the area.

On this particular day, we found ourselves summarizing the last few months. He told me about the family and the band. Summer vacations & work. I started to share about my fresh ambition and dreams. And most importantly, how for the first time since college graduation, I feel alive.

The transition period after college is difficult, especially if you relocate. And even moreso if all of that changes within 6 months. At that time, I didn’t think I’d know what normal would be like again.

Today isn’t normal, but it’s normal for right now. Life is fairly constant and exciting. New friends & journey’s with them continue to enlighten and encourage.

As I’m sharing my view from the mountain, I was briefly interupted as I was reminded it won’t be long before I’m walking in the valley again.

It isn’t that I disagree with his statement — and I know of the goodness that comes through the changes of season in your life — but for the first time since college graduation, I feel alive.

But it was as if he stopped my oxygen supply. It was only for a second — but it interupted my flow. After all, he knows as well as I do, I haven’t had a view like this in a few years. I just wanted to enjoy it and allow him a chance to see things as I was seeing them.

I know the day will come when I’ll be making my way through the valley again. But until that time, I want to fully enjoy today.

Because, I really like the view from uphere.

My parents taught my bro & I proper phone etiquette when we were young. When a caller asked for one of our parents, we were to respond, “One moment please.” That was 20 years ago. Even before the classic Zach Morris phone as seen on the hit Saturday morning show, “Saved by the Bell.”

Today, I have noticed an increasingly large population violating all codes concerning proper cell phone etiquette.

I was standing in the check-out line the other day and I couldn’t help but overhear the details of the latest relationship break-up, an employee termination, and the removal of someone’s right ovary.

Could you imagine sitting on an airplane, hearing the specifics of a prom date from the person sitting 10 rows behind you?

More often than not, I wish I had this powerful device called a jammer in which at any given moment, I could gently push down on this button and create an automatic disconnect for all those cell phone talkers (who unknowingly talk louder on their cell phone).

My roommate and I walked into the gym this week to find this cute lady in her matching exercise outfit laying on her stomach, on a machine that works your legs, talking on her cell phone. You’ve got to be kidding. I watched her for a couple of minutes before she did a leg lift. Don’t be fooled by those who spend long amounts of time in the gym — it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re grooving their body the entire time.

Have you ever been to a restaurant and two people are sitting at the same table while the one of the two is talking on their phone? Are they really together? Or you’re out to a lunch on an interview and your potential future employer is sitting across from you with his bluetooth ear piece attached to his ear? You’re nervous as it is, but at any given moment you could be interupted because that ear piece has signified he is choosing to remain connected, which means, that caller will receive higher priority. Owning a bluetooth ear device doesn’t make you more important than the next cell phone user. Use common courtesy when you feel you’re hands are too tied up to actually hold the phone.

Cell phones have become the adult version of our childhood security blanket. You can’t leave home without it, even to go to the gym. My favorite display of dependance is when you’re sitting in an airport and most of the people around you are chatting on their phones. You begin boarding and shortly thereafter, an announcement is made to turn off all mobile devices. Around you sounds the hallelujah chorus of phones entering the power-off mode. Ah, finally. My flight time is free of all obnoxious cell phone users. But then, you begin your descent. With the wheels barely on the ground, people begin reaching for their phones and the hallelujah chorus begins again as the phones power-on and anxious people alert those waiting for them, the plane has landed.

Don’t get me wrong. I am a cell phone user and I appreciate the convenience of technology. However, most of us in the audience of unwilling listeners would agree cell phone etiquette needs to be addressed.

Let me tell you, I can hardly wait for the day when airlines pass regulations to allow cell phone use during flights. It will only take one flight for those around me to learn I won’t be the best of seat mates when I am forced to listen to half-hours discourse about the disfunction of their family or the details of the dried macaroni and cheese left on the pan from last nights dinner from the woman 6 rows behind me. I’m sure they will send me out the door with or without a parachute, but almost guaranteed with a cell phone, for one last absolutely necessary call on the way down.

Utterly lacking. Having little. Destitute. Deficient. Deprived. In need of.
Low in degree.

It’s the faces of Africa, Haiti, and Ethiopia that begin to fill my mind. The faces who define the statistics of poverty. The faces who do not have a pantry full of bottled water or a britta water purifier in their refridgerator. The faces who are not certain of tomorrow.

I never saw the face in the mirror.
Until today.

To be impoverished is to be without — naturally.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God.”

The gap is closing. Africa, Haiti, Ethiopia, and the rest of the world have more in common than the obvious. We are all impoverished people.

Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-Control.

Naturally, we are:
Utterly lacking. Having little. Destitute. Deficient. Deprived. In need of.
Low in degree.

In spirit.

We are impoverished people.

All of a sudden, it isn’t us and them. Here and there.
We are one.
It is as if the creator of the universe wanted to give us another reason to look to him. We were designed to be naturally without so we would be driven to ask for help. It was part of the plan.

Clever.
The mind of God designed a way to draw us into a closer, more abundant relationship with him.
Your best interest is always in mind.

Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-Control.

When these become real,

naturally,

your heart will begin to overflow with compassion for those who physically know what it is to be an impoverished people.

The faces of Africa, Haiti, and Ethiopia.

The faces that make up the 6 billion people across the globe.

The faces of the world will be challenged by a new image.

“Blessed are the utterly lacking, having little, destitute, deficient, deprived, in need of, low in degree,

in

Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-Control.

for theirs is the kingdom of God.”