Tuesday, May 24, 2011

simple...

Hello everyone!  How are you?  Here in Denver, the trees are budding, the grass is greening (is that a word?), and the mountains are still enjoying frequent snow-dustings.  I am so excited and ready for summer to officially arrive because it always brings so many good things: evening-time grilling on the back porch, running at the park, biking, climbing and the joy of not being cold!

I love the summer change-of-pace.  My role at Dry Bones shifts from the streets to spending my days buried in the mountains, guiding groups of high-school kids.  Some of them have never stepped foot out of their home towns in Texas or Tennessee or Arkansas, and they come to Denver to step into an adventure where they are challenged to see beyond their current perspectives.  Life in the summer is busy, but simple.

And it is this simplicity that is just one of the many reasons that I think being in the outdoors is awesome.    You only take what you need.  When you are hungry, you eat.  When you are tired, you sleep.  When you are cold, you put on a jacket and if that doesn't work, oh well.  When you need to go somewhere, you walk.  If you don't know the way, you look at a map.  If it's raining, you try to stay dry.  If you are bored, excellent - soak that up!  Any worries that you may have are raw, organic, and survival-oriented.

It makes me think about the time Jesus was encouraging a large group of people, and tells them not to be anxious; not to worry.  The next verse He says, "look at birds of the air...are you not worth much more than they?" and then a few more verses down He tells us to "observe how the lilies of the field grow".

Until recently, I have always taken Jesus' words to be examples of things in creation that aren't anxious.  Birds and flowers do not worry about anything, this is true.  And He may indeed have meant it that way.  But what if He was also giving us suggestions, instead of mere examples.  What if He was telling us to take a moment to go look at a bird when we become anxious about our current situation or our problem(s) of the day.  We just might get a glimpse of peace and serenity that calms our spirits.  Are you feeling overwhelmed?  Jesus might suggest that you try sitting and staring at a flower.  You will get to see a very simple, yet extremely intricate piece of His creation.  The simplicity just might remind you of your own intricate simplicity.  It just might remind you of how much you are loved.  And isn't that, after all, a wonderful thing to be reminded of?

-Zach