Update #125 FOG

"Pause a moment, Job, and listen; consider the wonderful things God does." Job 37:14

Signal Point / Twelve Apostles - Cape Town

I live on a hill (well, native Californians call it a mountain, but I, who has seen “real” mountains, call it a hill). The road to my house is narrow, windy, steep, and has an impressive drop-off on the downhill side. After living here six months I know the road pretty well and its hairpin turns don’t bother me any more – except when it is foggy.

Fog has a way of cloaking and covering, of concealing and shrouding, of veiling and enveloping objects so they don’t appear normal. Light dilutes and shadows elongate and morph. Awareness is radically altered and senses are skewed - sound dulls, vision deceives, and depth perception is doubtable. There is an eerie stillness...and everything has a thin veil of condensation – making surfaces more reflective than usual.

During daylight hours driving the narrow, windy, steep road in foggy conditions is tricky but doable. Night time is a different story. As stated previously, I know this road…I drive it almost everyday. But darkness and fog make me feel like I have never driven the road before in my life! “Where is that turn?” “Is that a tree?” “Oh God, please don’t let another car come at me!”

Recently I was driving down the hill in semi-dark foggy conditions and reflected at how slowly and carefully I was navigating the road; how I was paying hyper-attention to my surroundings, and noticing every little thing – the spring green of the leaves, the crimson of the underbrush, the damp on the road, the birds in the trees, the rabbits standing stock-still like statues, the gravel on the edge of the roadway…on second thought, do I really know this street as well as I thought?

I think this is an allegorical illustration of our lives. We get in a groove, a routine - the day-to-day tasks zoomed through – and we miss the details running along side us. When we venture into the unknown, the unfamiliar, the foreign; we slow, we tread carefully, we observe, we contemplate, we analyze how our surroundings react to us. In the familiar we are secure and therefore move, speak and act at Ferrari-like speed. This makes me ask, “How much am I missing”?

I put a mirror up above my desk – not for vanity reasons, but to see the view out my front window. I face a retaining wall and was missing the scurrying clouds, sweeping wind, frolicking birds, and sun playing along the valley. It only takes a moment to glance at the reflective surface to see what is happening behind me. I have been taken by surprise several times - rainbows, dark clouds, sunbursts, and spectacular views of the city. It slows me down, causes me to pause and enjoy what God has made.

What slows you down? What brings reflection into your life? Your kids? Your dog? Your daily time with God? A friend? Fog? A mirror?

My prayer is that we can take a moment every day to be fully present where we are and not thinking about what comes next, the appointment we need to prep for, the “to do’s” – but be fully aware of our surroundings – the sights, the smells, the sounds, the temperature, the humidity – because we will never be there again. I don’t want my life to be filled with days “doing” and not “experiencing.” I have weeks whip by and I can’t remember what I did on Monday – I was busy – but what is my memory of that day?

Is your life cloaked in fog? Are you able to discern your surroundings for what they are? Are your senses in hyper-attention striving to gage the unfamiliar or are you ripping past in over-drive? What causes you to pause?

Updates:

Living – We are still a go for the sale on June 16th. I am currently working to finding a licensed contractor to address the buyer required alterations…the first bid was really high and I wasn’t impressed. If you can recommend anyone, let me know. I need the work done before the first week in June.

Work – made it to Cape Town early Wednesday morning. I had a great seat (bulkhead asile baby…translate that to LEG ROOM) on both flights – and nice seat mates as well. Thank you Lizzy! The rest of the home office team arrived that afternoon and we headed to bed relatively early (8pm).

Travel- Am in the Pinelands neighborhood of Cape Town through Saturday morning – then off to a Waterfront hotel for a week. After GDOP I am back in Pinelands for another week then to Somerset West for a few days. I head back to the US the first part of June.

Requests:

Living – that construction on the building will finish by the first of June and closing will be smooth, and that the girl staying in my California apartment will enjoy her time there. AND, I will find a contractor that isn’t overpriced!

Work – For all our upcoming travel: Chennai, Lagos, Connecticut, LA, Texas are just a few of the places the home office team is heading. For our time in Cape Town (attendance at our forums in conjunction with GDOP, team unity, transportation, safety, etc.). And for the Venture in India (client recruitment, team unity, travel safety, ability to hear God’s directions).

Fundraising – if this blog or any of the past entries have touched your heart please donate toward my trip to Africa. Visit http://gdop.inst.net to find out what I’m doing while in Cape Town. To contribute, please go to http://repurposing.biz/contribute for details.