A New Way of Life
/So I was reading Bone Games, by Rob Schultheis, when I found this: “When you go looking for God, be sure to pack a lunch.” I liked this phrase immediately. It certainly speaks to my experiences. Sometimes it takes longer to find God than our perfect plan allows, and we might get hungry along the way. Better pack a lunch.
I’ve written about this before – recently, in fact - but one of the ways I look for God is by making changes in the patterns of my life. They don’t have to be giant changes. In fact, they’re usually small incremental changes.
For example, I might switch from running on dirt roads to running on city streets. Or change the route I ride. Or I might try writing on a plain-page journal instead of my regular graph-paper Moleskine. Maybe I’ll even go backpacking on a new trail, or eat in a different Whataburger, or stop wearing jeans for an entire year. And the truth is I’ve made all of these simple changes at one time or another, simply to mix up my patterns and open my eyes.
And I’ve learned to pack a lunch for the trip because I might have to live with my changed self a long time before I find any insight. And since the way or the place I find God usually surprises me completely, I’ve learned to keep moving. Keep expecting.
The most recent change I’ve made concerns my laptop computer. Just last weekend I bought my own MacBook Pro. While I was considering the purchase, Cyndi whispered to Ryan, the nice young man at Simply Mac (who was also one of Cyndi’s former 5th-grade students), “Berry’s a big Windows guy.” She’s correct. In the context of me, this was a large change.
In the name of change I’m leaning into my new way of life. In fact, this is my first Journal Entry published from my Mac.
I don’t know how far I’ll dive into this experience, but Cyndi has started showing me an assortment of Apple decals to put on my Tacoma. I’m actually considering it. She has her little ways of persuading me to do almost anything.
Here’s the thing. I don’t expect God to reside in my Mac, but I expect God to show Himself to me whenever I go looking for Him, and changing patterns is one of my biggest personal search engines. I have my lunch packed. I am ready for the long haul.
“I run in the path of Your commands, for You have set my heart free.” Psalm 119:32
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