Saturday, November 19, 2005

The Pains of Love

I can't imagine burying one of my children. They are supposed to bury me! Maybe that's supremely selfish, but I did have a 25 year jump on life. Which brings the question up...is it better to have loved and then lost? or to have never loved? In the case of my close friend who has just lost his 3 month old daughter...would he have been better off never knowing her? Or will the 3 months of love last a lifetime? Real love carries with it joy, pain, excitement...confusion. A terrible canundrum of our brains and our hearts.

Monday, November 07, 2005

Joy of spreading joy

Early this afternoon we went to a house to help fix the roof. We were told that there was a little damage to the roof, and it wouldn't take us too long to repair. So we headed out with one seasoned roofer, and a slightly experienced framer, and three schmucks to try and fix it. Upon arrival we found that it wasn't a little damage. Water levels had risen to over 7 feet in this particular area, and it had uprooted a very large pine tree which found it's way through the 8-12 pitch roof. For you inexperienced roofers, unlike me...wink wink...that means it was really steep. I thought "There's no way!" "We'll never finish this today, but try we must." I'll shorten the story, but to let you in on it, at one point we had half the roof removed because of broken trusses. That's not good! We measured and cut and hammered and coersed, and others joined us, and as dusk was setting in an awesome feeling came over me as the unsuspecting family drove by to check on their uninhabitale home to find that it was that much closer to being liveable again. After many hugs and exchanges in email and address, and phone numbers, we shoved off. But, in the distance as we drove away, I saw hope for a young family with a 3 year old boy. I saw a family without hope before, who had a glimmer in their eye again. Why? Because people innertly want to be a part of something bigger than themselves, and to jump in behind something big. What if we could do that everyday? Live beyond who we are, and pour ourselves into someone else so much that the joy overflows and on to someone else. Is this a myth? or could it be true? I get so much joy, when I spread the joy.

Sunday, November 06, 2005

Devastation?

I think I will use the word devastated with less frequency. To say that one is devastated is a huge term. I'm understanding more the error of misuse that we have adopted for this term by viewing real devastation. Television camera and even artistic photographers can not do justice to the pure devastation left behind by Hurricane Katrina. In the past 48 hours I taken 60 minutes worth of video and over 200 pictures, and in reviewing them...it falls far short of the pure intensity of the amzingly decrepit situation. A stench so foul that it literally takes your breath away. A land so wrought with disaster that it overwhelms you, and you find yourself sitting and wondering where to start. I urge anyone who thinks their situation is bad to experience this wasteland. Does life have devastating moments...I'm sure it does, but we need to more carefully choose the times that we define as devastating. Losing a job is a mere inconvenience compared to rebuilding life from the ground up. These images will forever be burned into my psyche when I leave, and be a constant reminder that my life...is blessed, not devastated.

Friday, November 04, 2005

When the hammer hits the wrong nail

Today I woke up at 5am central time in a tent, on a cot, in the cold. Now most times that would be a HUGE hamper to my day, but today was different. After putting down some sausage and eggs and biscuits, I joined the crew for what would be a labor intensive day. Just to give you some clarity to this, I'm in Mississippi with a crew for Hurricane Katrina Disaster relief. The devastation is still staggering, considering that the hurricane made landfall the end of August and this is the beginning of November. Boats that are miles from water, sitting in graveyards. Waterlines on walls in homes over 6 feet high. People walking around in full HAZMAT suits, just like in E.T. But in the midst of devastation we've found hope. A hope that doesn't come from money, or self-confidence. We've seen Unity, in fact I'm sitting in the middle of unity right now. A little parking lot here that has been turned in to a camping grounds. Tents, cots, campers, and they are serving three squares a day. I've seen charity. Today we put a roof on a house, and the awesome thing, the lady paid us nothing, and won't. She has no insurance, and had no plans of fixing her home, but now she can continue with her life. True love that expects nothing...not only does it excite her, but it makes me feel good knowing that I've shown a love that is bigger than I can actually give. In a thought... AMAZING LOVE! Benevolence is cool, but love is amazing, and knows no boundaries. I'm glad I can show, and act out love.