Often, people find their Faith through a series of events that defy explanation to the degree that they say "Fine! OK. There must be Something bigger than luck, coincidence and cool people doing consistently cool things. Now--what is It?" That's when the real journey begins...
Anyway, Alisa and I are pretty sure of our belief in God, but there are sometimes things that remind us that we're probably right. Here are some current examples:
Outdoor gear is expensive. I'm a school teacher in Colorado. 'Nuff said: this is an issue!
exhibit A: I had an old climbing back pack that I'd (ab)used for years. In sympathy, Mark, a friend of mine, told me I should take it to the company (Kelty) and see if they could repair it. I did. They didn't repair it; they offered me a NEW one for relatively free (regular price is over $165.00)! Right on.exhibit B: Brianna was 'exploring' Alisa's pair of polarized glare-resistant sunglasses. Her exploration led to the violent death of said eyewear. On a lark, she decided to send them in and ask for a replacement. They did it...for free. The glasses were WAY past any reasonable replacement warranty. Sweet.exhibit C: Inspired by Alisa's industry, I did the same...after stepping on my own pair of technical sunglasses. (Urgghh! Clutz-ball!)I had no hope of the same result. 3 business days later, I got a phone call from the company asking me to choose a new pair. 9 business days later, my new pair arrived in a cushy little box. Almost free. Love 'em.exhibit D: Alisa needed a new climbing harness, as hers was not really suited for outdoor climbing. My boss at the Boulder Rock Club walked up to me a few days ago and said, "Hey, we got this nice Black Diamond harness (small) as a demo and can't use it. You have any use for it?" Hmmm. Yes, I do...
exhibit E: Pulling up at Copper Mountain Saturday morning (see previous post), I decided it would be a good "husband duty" to clean up Alisa's car a bit. I gathered up all the garbage, then walked over to one of the hundreds of resort trash cans. I dumped the coffee cups, hand warmer and bar wrappers and various kid-refuse. Walking back to the car, it clicked. "What the..?!" I walked back to the trash can and, sure enough, there they were: a totally new pair of ski goggles. Skiing, I fall down...a lot...really hard, so my pair had been worse for the wear for 3 years, having split all the way through the outer plate. Finding a brand-spanking new pair in the trash? You gotta be kidding...(postscript) A buddy of mine recently gave me, out of the blue, a new ski helmet, goggles, and sunglasses. As it turned out, the helmet didn't fit and the goggles were too small. This is a weird one. It's like God was saying, "I can deliver to you. You spread the love." We're donating all of those items. Spread the love, pay it forward, embrace the beauty of community, right? I think that's what Jesus was talking about all along, anyway.There's more, but that's enough to make my point. Something bigger than us Who loves us and takes care of us and wants us to take care of each other? A little sentimental, perhaps, but I like the idea.
Whoop-ee!*
