Honey I'm Home

To say the last few months have been hard would be a vast understatement. I'm amazed and stunned at the moments of joy and clarity that come in the midst of this season though. Today provided one of those moments. Quiet though it was; profound as well.

I must back up by sharing something that goes deep within me. Something that came from being with my dad. You see, when I remember my dad, I never remember being a nusance, or being a bother to him. If he was in a conversation, I could come up to him and stand there and sort of listen in. He'd put his arm around me and just continue talking. If he was working, I could come into his office and hang out. I absolutley and completely LOVE this memory that I have of my dad. I hold on to it deeply.

So when people in my life offer the same feeling, it touches on something so core for me. And today, friends offered it in ways they will probably never know.

After a yoga class this a.m. I decided to call my friend Big Al who is the closest thing to a father figure for me at this present season of life. I adore this man. He's so unlike my own dad, so don't think he's "Len-ish". He's not. He's chilled, relaxed, slow, steady. So I call Big Al to see if today is the day he extracts honey from the hives that he has. He's a bee-keeper! I mean, how cool is that? These people raise bees or whatever it is you do with bees. I would love to come watch, as I'm fascinated with things like this. As he answers the phone I ask if he's doing the honey today and the first thing out of his mouth? "Are you coming over!?" No hesitation. I'm not in the way. They want me there.

My heart soared. He had no idea what he offered me, but there it was, and I accepted. It felt like coming home. This is what community feels like. Home.

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This is so Jesus. I have been hearing Jesus speak to me in subtle, sometimes funny, ways. As a friend talks to a friend. He'll point things out to me. Like this ravene in the sillouette of Pike's Peak that I'd never seen the sun touch in quite the way it was doing last Friday night. Or a bubble floating around the bathroom as I washed my hands today. A smile crossed my lips and I knew Jesus showed me that. I love this side of Jesus.

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So, honey. Let's get back to the honey. It's so cool to see people doing things like this. The smell as you walk into the greenhouse where they were extracting was unlike anything I'd ever smelled! Floral. Sweet. Natural. Beautiful. Heavenly. I watched then scrap the comb. Spin the honey to release it. Amazing! I even had bees flying around me without a fear of getting stung b/c everyone else seemed chilled so I might as well join in and be chilled too. I didn't get stung either.

I loved it.

And while I can't eat honey right now, I can smell it. And I can enjoy the creation Christ spoke into exisistence with his very Word. Amazing isn't it?

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By the way, thanks Ninny for prodding me to blog again. I adore you.