Ten years ago, part two

It was ten years ago today that I sat down with my friend Karen and heard the Gospel. I can't say that I understood it, or that I truly understand it in its fullness today, but that day I chose to follow Jesus. Ten years, wow...

It seems as though a lifetime has passed since then: finishing high school, bouncing around, finding myself in the community of 104, bouncing around some more, Portland and now relearning community life again here in Ames. I've come so far and yet I'm still much like the sixteen year old version of me. It's lovely to think about where I was back then, what is happening in my life now, and what could come to be in my life someday. God is good.

For the past four years I've felt as though I was in the proverbial desert of life and faith - maybe that's what being in your mid twenties is all about. Something changed in Portland, and I could sense that my time in the desert was coming to a close. Beyond were mountains, and in those mountains lie goodness and hardship and certainly that is coming to fruition. There is goodness here in the communities that I am part of, and there are difficulties, both both are found here and in the near future. Nearly everyday I find myself glad to be where I am, both figuratively and physically. The other days? I'm wishing to be physically in the mountains.

What I've been learning: From conversations started in Portland and further developed in Ames I've been coming towards a "radical" step in my faith. The concept within this step is the moving away from not doing and towards doing. Rather than dwelling on what I shouldn't be doing, or shouldn't have done, attempting to focus on the actions reflecting the following of Christ. I use the word "attempting" because it is not an easy task. For some nine years I have been in the do not mind set [which at times is an appropriate mind set] and those sorts of patterns are not easily broken. It certainly is an interesting juncture in my journey.

It's been a good ten years, and I can only hope to say the same thing a decade from now. God, thank you for loving me, for caring about this world, for letting us participate in your love - I love you, though I wish I could live it more clearly. Friends that I call family, thank you for helping me stay on the path of goodness and non-safety. I love you all,

Travis