These boots of stone...

What if those things that hold us back really were removed? What if the things that distract us, our hobbies, desires, and entertainment devices were cut away from our lives? What would we do as men and women in this revolution of Gods design with out the anchors we keep? Questions some of us ask often and answer easily, but dare not attempt.

I live a comfortable life. It is not overly fancy, but admittedly their is enough to be warm and happy day to day. I have "things" that absorb my time and some even seem rewarding. I have a nice car and a large apartment packed with crap that I think I might one day use. If I ever open the pantry to find no food it is because I am too lazy to run to the store, not because I don't have the money. I can go out to the mall and get a new radio or computer game if I get bored or an old one breaks. All these "things" that have made my life easy and pleasant have also distracted me and disillusioned me. Truly, what was once a blessing is becoming a curse.

Tonight the power went out while I was watching some streaming cartoons online. It's a Friday commitment I am happy to uphold after having offered up my cable, making my TV almost useless. I was laughing away, thinking about the characters and the movies I had rented to watch the next day while the rain pours down outside. Somehow, I had become far removed from the events of the past few days. Days quite full of movement in the Spirit. (I'm not saying much seemed to be accomplished in that regard, but certainly it was a busy front.) I was so out of tune I couldn't even see the opening. Instead, since the power flickered but couldn't remain consistent, I chose to go out to get groceries taking the long way around so as to avoid the high traffic intersections, being that their were no traffic lights to guide the people. As I packed the car up with foodies, standing in the darkened parking lot with the light touch of a misting rain falling on me, I started to pick up on the signal finally. The reception was not quite right though so it only managed to command a silent appreciation of the evenings weather. When I arrived home and began to unpack the food in the darkness, I wondered what I would do and at first it bothered me. "Now what? I can't watch my cartoons. I can't watch movies. I can't play a game. Heck I can't even type up the many letters and things I have backlogged. Man, this sucks."

Now, at some point the reception became very clear. Clear enough that my would-be frustration melted away and I decided to get a book and one of those "things I might need one day" (as mentioned earlier) which was a battery powered night-lite for reading. So, in a fair amount of silence I sat on the couch and for a time just read in the dim light. Between the content of the book and the stillness of the moment it didn't take long to tune in to the Spirit again. So good a feeling it was that when the lights all came back on and stayed on I was frustrated by the interruption. I actually got up, grumbling, and went around turning lights off. Then went back the couch and resumed my readings which, all said and done, lasted almost 2 hours. (This book, which I have to post on later, is almost done. If it weren't 2am I'd finish it, but my eyes are getting heavy.)

I am always so much happier in that ethereal connection than I am chasing after my own plans. Makes me wonder then, why play games? Even better a thought, why have a TV at all? In truth I have more responsibilities calling then I know what to do with and not one of them is distasteful to me. So their is no chance I will be bored without the ever present media that we Americans have come to depend on. Recently I have been motivated, not by a book or a sermon, to start getting rid of the "things" I have surrounded myself with. It will not be easy, but by the same token it will be. (I'm not talking about living as a purist in this regard, but just removing some of the many things that bind me.) Maybe I sound a bit nutty, but the things God has shown me today alone justify and testify to what needs done in my life to prepare me for what is coming. I say that with so much certainty even though what is coming is so uncertain.