April 16, 2002
Well, I finally got some
direction (smile/sigh)…
I have just completed moving
from California back to Mississippi, and am living with my folks in my home
town of Leland, MS… (more info)…home
of
Kermit the Frog and the Annual Highway 61
Blues Festival…
Just now coming up for
air…it's quite a task to move "lock, stock, and barrel" across
country…starting just now to ponder this.
Although I had been thinking
about this possibility for a couple of years (I had actually been coming back
here twice a year to sorta 'test it out' a little), it all came down quite
suddenly. Feb 4, during my quiet time with the Lord, I started got serious
about the feasibility of it, and developing a 'plan'…I approached my parents
about it on Thursday; they said 'yes' on Saturday, and the whole thing was set
in full motion within a couple of days…there were many, many subtleties
involved, but everything came together quickly and well…I bounced the idea off
my closest day-to-day friends and my kids, and everyone supported the move…and
so on March 12, I left San Jose/Los Gatos and drove to MS. The truck arrived
with my stuff on the 22nd, and things were more or less functional within a
matter of 4-5 days.
The ostensive advantages to me
are substantial: greatly reduced cost of living, proximity to parents and
brothers (remember, I just became a single-parent, recently-grieved,
empty-nester--it was undoubtedly a mercy of my wise God to move me to my family
at this time), tremendously lower stress environment, beautiful (and
accessible) nature, and a great writing environment. Since my earnings-work
doesn’t require any office-presence, where I live doesn't matter (as long as I
have DSL and can get to an airport easily).
But there's more to it, I
suspect…the move seemed "sudden" to me, and I ponder what this is all
'for'…I have seen enough vivid providence in my life over the last 2-3 years,
that I think more consciously about 'time tapestry' issue now…I 'sense'
something different ahead, but have no clue as to what it might be, nor do I
have any 'obsession' to find out…"progressive patience-izing" is the
theological term, I think (smile)…
So far, it has seemed almost
'dreamlike'…I have worked hard (physically), but the slower pace, and no
congestion, and 'calmness of the land', and proximity to everything, has given
the 'feel' of something 'abnormal'…I am so used to difficulty, and hassle, and
stress, and adversity, that these last few weeks have not seemed 'hard enough'
to have been mine…(Ziggy-smile)…I will have to 'learn' how to live this way,
similar to how Paul had to 'learn' how to 'abound' (Phil 4.12). [I haven't
gotten to the 'abounding' part yet…chuckle…but the 'breathing easier' part is
confusing enough…LOL] I pray that I
will not atrophy, but that increased fruitfulness and productivity might result
(without a decrease in either
health or celebration of grace). It's just so different…and I will have to be
patient with myself as I try to adjust and learn and adapt to this new God-architected
chapter in my life.
I can already tell, though,
that this new environment will surface a new layer of 'impurities' that need
addressing in my character…sigh…but that's what I signed up for, I
remember--"progressive sanctification"…becoming more Christ-like,
more pure-hearted, more other-loving, more incandescent in my joy…and the only
way to get there is through freedom-creating truth and insight and honesty…
It hasn't ALL being physical
work--I have gotten to work on a great project this past week or two or three,
about the early church and how it interacted with urban life, for an upcoming
conference on Urban Ministry/Missions. (I put a copy of the historical part of
my research up on the Tank, at urbxctt.html.) That was
fairly consumptive--but as all my projects, also challenging, encouraging, and
instructive (and a little bit 'shaming', too).
I have had more face-to-face
contract with "carbon-based lifeforms" here in the last 3 weeks, than
I have had in the last 6 months back in CA--and they haven't been as
'consumptive' as they have seemed in the past…maybe God is starting to change
deeper parts of my heart…?…I already have a couple of close friends in the
area, from years back, and have begun getting together with them…sweetness,
actually.
I delivered a farewell address to the absolutely wonderful Forum class at Peninsula Bible Church (entitled: "2 Peninsulans 4.23-30: Concluding Exhortations…"…[cheesy smile]), which was recorded--the audio (or link to it) is no longer known.
That's all for now…I hope to start being able to produce tank-pieces more rapidly now, but we'll see…pray for me,
Carried in the arms of the Shepherd,
Glenn Miller
April 17, 2002