Sometimes I feel like a real adult. (Mostly I just feel like I’m playing they part.) I came across this quote by C.S. Lewis the other day & it fits what I’m talking about pretty perfectly:

“Thirty was so strange for me. I’ve really had to come to terms with the fact that I am now a walking and talking adult.”  -C. S. Lewis

I’m thirty one years old & still have thoughts as I’m driving around like, “Whoa. Someone gave me a license & put me behind the wheel of a car. What were they thinking?” I have the same thoughts every now & then at work. Do they realize that they just gave responsibility for running a Day Camp/retreat/Silent Auction Fundraiser to this girl? Yikes.

{Am I alone here? Anyone else have crazy moments like this?}

I had one of those moments (well, several really) last weekend. I flew “back home” for a college friend’s wedding. I mean, suddenly I found myself wandering through the airport like a pro, navigating security, finding my gate, finding coffee, boarding the plane-all like it was just no big deal. Just something I’ve done dozens of times before. Crazy.

And the wedding. *sigh*

It was wonderful. It was so fun to see a close friend literally bounce down the aisle to meet her groom. And then float back down the aisle arm in arm with him.

I also got the chance to spend a few hours at my parent’s house & be entertained by their 2 new {adorable} kittens. And I got to spend some good time with my best friend. Always good to see Laura!

Here is a little video I shot of 5:00 traffic in Tulsa today:

I actually sat and watched this for a while and its really interesting to see that patterns that develop. So, the left lane is an exit only lane onto a surface street, the exit is perhaps 2/3 of a mile from where the two streams of traffic merge. The next two lanes go through and marge with the intrance ramp to the right. The most interesting pattern is up in the top left of the frame Most interesting is the top left of the video where the two streams of traffic merge.  It is sort of hard to see, but as soon as the two lanes come together people pull out of the exit only lane and into the through lanes, or into the exit lane from the through lanes. People seem to feel the need to pull in right away within the first 100 feet. I actually saw several people stop for 10 or 15 seconds to get into the other lane even though they had over a half a mile of empty lane in front of them to use to merge. I really think traffic would flow faster if people would just spread there merging out over the entire length of the exit only lane. I wonder why they don’t? A couple possibilities:

• my observation might be wrong. There could be something im not seeing. Most of the people driving in this video drive this every day. They may know something I don’t.
• Bad drivers, It could just be that all these people are bad drivers. They are on their cell phones and not paying attention. I don’t really think this is it. None of these drivers are dong anything wrong. They are just trying to get into the lane they need to be in.
• Bad design. I think this is part of it. There might be something that could be done to help people not feel like they need to switch lanes immediately. Something to indicate that there is plenty of room to merge.
• But, I think it has more to do with something people are really good at: getting tunnel vision and not seeing the big pictures. Or another way to think of it is that we focus so much on the detail right in front of us (i need to get into the other lane) that we never step back to see what is really going on (i have plenty for room, I don’t need to stop here until i can get over).

I do this kind of stuff all the time. I focus so much on the project I’m doing right now that I don’t make progress on the big picture of what I want to do and make progress on the big picture. And you can see this everywhere, politics, business, churches, non-profits, environmental debates, water wells, aid, development, money, economics, everywhere. I hope we can learn to think about the big picture, to think more then one step ahead.

One of the things we were able to do while in Europe was visit the ten Boom house in Haarlem. There is a book called “The Hiding Place” that has been instrumental in my faith. It tells the story of Corrie ten Boom & her family. They hid Jews in a secret room of their house during WWII in Holland.

{Do yourself a favor & pick up a copy & start reading. You will not be disappointed.}

As I sat in the ten Boom living room, I was flooded with a feeling of holiness & peace & an immense sense that I was getting to breathe in a little bit of spiritual history. It really was (what I imagine) that some feel when they visit the Holy Land. And honestly, I’m not sure if it would mean any more to me to actually visit the Holy Land than it did to visit this narrow house sitting next to such a rich, story-filled alleyway.

It was an honor to get to sit in that living room where so many people’s lives have been touched by the Spirit of God to hope a little more, take another step, live in a way that honors our gracious & mighty Creator. I tried to just soak it all in, but (as I knew it would) it was over too fast.

I finished reading through the story again as we ended our time in Uganda. It will continue to be a story that I read over & over again throughout my life. Something in those pages touches me so deeply & spurs me on to live my life better, more honoring to the Lord who has given it to me to begin with.

I’m not sure that I was supposed to take this picture, but it was only after I took it that the guide told us not to take pictures of anything on the walls. And technically this wasn’t “on the wall”, it was in a case against a wall…

Corrie’s Bible.

A tangible reminder to me that this lady was real. This isn’t just a cool story. It was someone’s real life that they lived to bring hope & healing to those around them. And it encourages me so.

{And I am so grateful for other living rooms I have sat in. Places where I saw God moving among loving families. And where my faith was touched & deepened.}