pot holes that make you curse

If I had to be honest, I would live in the mountains. I wouldn't wear shoes very often and the most staple item in my wardrobe would be a beard. These are the thoughts that wander to and fro inside my head. My struggle comes in that I truly believe that the very centrality of the Gospel calls us to where people live. In many cases this means calling Christians back to the city proper.

Today I spent much of my morning cycling outside of Lawrence, KS. This is one of the greatest places to ride a bike...as long as you are outside of the city. Inside of the city peril awaits around every corner. One must be a sort of pot-hole ninja just to avoid a head of heels death of a crash. That, or your primary concern will be a voice raising bump. Towards the end of my ride I found my way to such a large and elusive pot-hole that I thought my bike was about to explode. At this point many a curse word came close to escaping my lips. Luckily I think I spared most of the passers by from expletives.

No place is perfect, that is for sure. Kansas City is a great place for variety. Neighborhoods are chaoticlly scattered here and there creating a mosaic of culture. Block by block the culture changes drastically. It is big and at times really feels like it. Spread out and broad, Kansas City is not a personal town. Lawrence is much different. Today I am sitting in my favorite coffee shop drinking my favorite iced coffee enjoying the promenade that is Mass. Street. So much to see and do and so many people to meet in such a focused area. This is preferable to me in almost every situation. But to be honest Lawrence is not perfect either. Whether it is the unbelievably undisciplined screaming kid sitting next to me or the pot holes that take me back to 2nd grade, Lawrence too has its imperfections.

Why is this important? It is much more important how we live than where we live. Is your worth and happiness in your surroundings or in Jesus? This is a lesson I have had to learn this year. If my worth and joy are found in my environment I would be sad and disappointed often. Hope, Identity, Joy.

Though it is true, there are people in lots of places but it makes the most sense to go to where the most people are. After all, Paul the Apostle did that and he is certainly an example to follow. So to conclude, the point to this ramble of a post is that life is much more about hoe you live than where you live. If your hope is found in Jesus your Joy will be likewise. It is easy for me to associate my happiness with my surroundings but there is certainly a difference between happiness and joy. That perhaps is a different post though.