Sunday, June 15, 2014

Inside and Out

Since I was a child, I admired nature.  The first manifestation of this admiration was a fascination with the weather.  Surely meteorology would be my choice career through the lens of this young boy from the Midwest.  Seasonal transitions and volatility between weather extremes captivated my intrigue in the natural order.  This coupled with my family's career and active participation in forestry assuredly mandated a future of canvasing the earth.

Neither meteorology or forestry would call me to study and so the beauty of nature became pastime admiration, and not passively so.

When I chose to study business, I acknowledged the reality of most likely spending at least 40 hours a week for the next 45 years of my life inside an office.  I did not, however, understand the implications.

Worship requires intent, active acknowledgment.  More often than not, my intent on being outside is worshipful, so much so that I spend most of this time in solitude.  Sure I value time spent with friends and selfishly getting a little sun to darken the winter's grip on my skin...but to be outside is for me to meet the Creator, to see, experience, feel, taste, and participate in the natural order, and for me this is best done alone.

I take many walks and occasionally run.  I sit and read in the grass.  I enjoy fishing, boating, biking, and kayaking. But 8am-5pm, I sit at a desk.  I wouldn't have it any other way; being present is far too important to wish I was somewhere else.  And so I'm learning to live where...and who...I am, inside and out.