rat-a-tat-tat

I had one of those nights last night that just felt good. You know those times when you feel like 'the stars have aligned' and as though "I'm walkin' on sunshine" should start playing the soundtrack to your life!? I guess it started on Sunday night--my friend Tim was driving me to my house and our conversation wasn't finished by the time we got there, so let me set this up for you:

It's about 10:00 on a spring sunday night. Tim and I are sitting on my front porch talking about life--ya, one of those conversations. Our view just above the roof of the houses across the street was one of the most beautiful night skies ever. The haze of the few clouds created this magical mystery over the sky, and with each word spoken and minute that passed, the stars began to reveal themselves and before you knew it, they shown true in their twinkling form. It was one of those moments where words were unnecessary. The bitter chill of winter had left and the warm yet brisk breeze of spring had come--and it was good!

Fast-forward through classes on monday and here we are monday night. I believe that there are a couple of things in life that no matter who you are, how old you are, how sad you are, or how 'cool' you are, can make you laugh. What are they you ask? Well, one of them is the sound of laughter. Not just the ho's and ha's of a group of people having fun, but the rich, pure, high-pitched, gut-busting-belly-laugh-giggle of a little kid. i got to spend some time with my favorite 3-year-old in the world. Hadley Kay-Ann. This girl can laugh. She's got a laugh and a spirit that is so contagious and so refreshing that you just feel good when you laugh with her. love it. love her. Not only do I love this little girl, but I so deeply love her parents. They got home about 9:30 that night and I didn't leave until 11:15. It's those moments of laughter, shared stories, and reheated egg-fu-young, that get me. I live for these moments.

Fast-forward now through Tuesday's classes. (I really do enjoy classes...but not enough to talk about them...in this blog anyways) I was making the drive from Burnsville back to Bethel and decided that I had a long-overdue 'date' with my dear friend Micaela. We hadn't really seen each other for about 3 weeks--and SO much had happened in those three weeks. So I made my way over to Northwestern with the intention of a fairly short visit--after all, it was already 11 o'clock on a school night! So i stop in, we go to 'the nest' for some snacks, share some laughs with her roommates and it was about time to go. So Micaela walks me out to my car (grabs my hand, tells me she loves me...haha just kidding.) And we just kinda keep talking. We started at the door, moved to the steps and ended in my car and 2 and a half-hours later...we said, "okay we better go to bed!" Much needed thoughts, talks, laughs, and cries. I love this girl, I love her heart, I love her story, and I love her friendship.

So I mosey on back to Bethel at about 2:15am only to find that there are no parking spots left! At which point I flagged down one of the security guards and asked what the heck to do! He pointed me in the direction of a lot off yonder and bid me goodnight! So I trucked on over to some lot in timbuktu to park my car and start the trek back to my apartment. Only in time for it to start raining. Now usually at this point, I'd be pissed. Downright pissed that a) there are people in my parking lot who don't even have parking passes, yet they're taking up my parking spaces and nothing is being done it, and b) it's raining, it's 2am, and i've got a good walk ahead of me. but all i could do was smile. I got out of my car tossed my backpack around my shoulders, spread my arms out, tipped my head towards the sky and let the rain soak my face. I walked back slowly--not like I normally would when it's raining out. I walked slowly with smile. (arms still stretched out) it has been a while since I have been that happy to be alive. pants rolled up, hair tied back, arms stretched out, I thanked God for these moments. For having legs to walk, and friends to talk. And at this point, I didn't need to wish for the soundtrack to my life to start playing--instead I started singing the chorus from the great Travis Tritt. 2:30am I'm standing alone in the Bethel parking lot belting, "it's a great day to be alive, i know the sun is still shinin' when I close my eyes. there's some hard times in the neighborhood, but why can't everyday be just this good?" Got back to my apartment, and put some warm socks on, oversized sweatpants and sweatshirt and crawled under the covers. Snuggled up so cozy and rested so right as God sang me to sleep with the 'rat-a-tat-tat' of the rain on my window.

I'm learning more and more how much i truly and wholly love people. I love them, and I love to love them. I thrive on relationships, laughter and late-night 'heart-to-hearts'.



"...every poem by a lover spurned, every song sung with an ache, every movie with a gut-wrenching scent, every late-night conversation and empty box of kleenex are glimpses into the life of God." Rob Bell, Sex God

"the more I think, the more I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people."
-vincent vangough


it's a great day to be alive my friends.