Callahan, California

I left Callahan, California two days ago but Callahan has yet to leave me. Every time I close my eyes I can see the mountains, I can smell the smoke of the forest fires in the distance, I can hear the laughter of the people, and I can taste the double IPA brewed just down the street. I was there for my brother-in-laws' wedding and it was one long week of parties, casual get togethers, and celebration all rolled into one. The wine flowed like... well... wine, and the beer poured like the rushing river below us. The food was plentiful (except on the camping trip) and always delicious. I'm no expert on ancient wedding feasts but from the little knowledge I have of them I imagine they were much like my experience this past week. Whether we were conscious of it or not we were celebrating all that marriage signifies; family, community, new beginnings, adventures, love, hope, faithfulness, God, the world around us, and life as a whole. It is no wonder that God uses marriage so often as a metaphor for His relationship to us. It is symbolic of so many things and should be celebrated continuously. I think it is impossible not to get stuck in a rut every now and then. It seems that life so easily becomes a never ending list of responsibilities. We lend ourselves so easily to putting our head down and plowing through. There are real obligations in life. I came home to a mailbox full of bills with due dates fast approaching. My family needs to be cared for. Our shelter has a mortgage, our stomachs will hunger again. I'm not saying that we can or even should party on the hilltops day in and day out. Though I wish we could. But here is something I found interesting during our amazing (yet arduous) four mile hike to the bachelor camp out. We were hiking through the most beautiful scenery I have seen in a long time. I kept wanting to take it all in, but if I stopped every five minutes to admire God's handy work I would never reach my destination. If I gazed upon the mountain horizon for too long while hiking I would stumble and possibly fall to my death. If I kept a fixed stare on the path making sure each footstep was carefully placed and never taking in the world around me, I would miss the beautiful point of the arduous journey. This wasn't the first time I had thought about this. Years ago Mark Casey and I had discussed this while hiking at Jones Gap. But this time it seemed to sink in a lot more. As my life is growing longer and my responsibilities pile up, this metaphor for life becomes much more evident to me. There are times when we need to put our heads down, dig deep inside, and power through to meet our responsibilities, but it is oh so important not to stay there. Our walk must entail frequent periods of looking up at all that surrounds us. To gaze upon family, friends, and all we are blessed with. There must also be times to stop everything, gather those we love, and celebrate the joys of life. We tend to want everything in black and white but unfortunately we live in a very grey world. We must merge these three periods of life into one continuous flow, hopefully minimizing the unpleasant seasons and maximizing the celebrations. If we refuse one season we will lose respect for the others or not have the power or ability to make it through them. It is a triangle of life which falls apart without all three sides. I yearn to be back in Callahan experiencing the past week over and over again but I will not forsake the responsibilities God has bestowed upon me. If I did I would not be able to bask in the full glory of his blessings that He so graciously and continually pours into my life.