Friends

It feels so good to finally be sitting on my own couch in my own living room that I can barely think of words for it, and so I’m blogging about my move.

I’ve heard it said before that a true friend will help you burry the bodies. It’s funny, but how often do you actually need that kind of help? Honestly, I found that a true friend will help you move into a third story apartment on a rainy night. My theory is only expanded by the idea that they may learn better over time and maybe a truer friend will help you move out at the end of the lease. But I’m not there yet.

Thanks Ryan for your 13 hours of complaint free help. And Mrs. Lantis for giving up Ryan for 13 hours while you’re moving too. I can’t say thanks enough, and you are so awesome and wonderful people that I don’t feel I need to. What do you call it when someone gives so much that you’re overwhelmed but you feel like it would almost spoil the beauty of it if you tried to even the score? I guess it’s true friendship.

Thank you Kasi and Brandon for your help. Kasi, Carol had to keep up with you and was 100% more productive than she would have been by herself, plus there was your labors as well. Brandon, you did far more than stand around while Ryan and I carried heavy stuff. Thank you doesn’t cover how grateful I am to you guys, maybe sharing a lasagna or grilling some chicken in the near future would say how grateful. We’ll have to see.

Stephen, I don’t know what to say because I think it’s such a rare breed of friend who will join his friends in moving a complete stranger. You intimidate me with your Christlike beard, attitude and self sacrifice on my behalf. We will have to see you again soon. You win the game changer of the day award. Your strength added at the end of the day was nothing short of a miracle for us.

Lastly I want to thank John and Holly because we called you up a week and a half ago and said “the place we were going to move is not ready, or safe, can we stay with you tonight... we’re ten minutes away.” and you hosted us that very night. Thank you for your hospitality and letting us crash with you guys when we were left with nothing else to do. We look forward to seeing you again soon. We’ll have you over for a cookout on our balcony or something.

These past few weeks have been dramatic for my family, but thankfully we’re settling in now. I hope to be able to do more writing, start my YouTube TV show and start working and really just living again.

It’s Good to be in the Dark:

God spoke to me today about my situation.

Isaiah 50.10-11 says “Who is among you that fears the LORD, That obeys the voice of His servant, That walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God. 11 Behold, all you who kindle a fire, Who encircle yourselves with firebrands, Walk in the light of your fire And among the brands you have set ablaze. This you will have from My hand; And you will lie down in torment.”

I desire certainty and long term goals. I want a farther along in life so that when I’m introduced to someone my friend can say “Mr. X this is my friend Cris, he’s a _____” and they will look me in the eye with respect. I struggled for years with indecision because I wanted to do things that I thought I couldn’t, or thought I couldn’t do things because I thought I shouldn’t and now that I’m coming to a point in life of going forward with my plans anyway it seems like I should have been where I am today about, I don’t know, ten or twelve years ago.

Isaiah 46.3-4 says “Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, And all the remnant of the house of Israel, You who have been borne by Me from birth, And have been carried from the womb; 4 Even to your old age, I shall be the same, and even to your graying years I shall bear you! I have done it, and I shall carry you; And I shall bear you, and I shall deliver you.” 

Right now I’m in the dark, I don’t know where the future is leading, or how to get there, I can’t even see the pitfalls on either side of my path. That’s where I’m at right now. I’m in the dark and have to trust Father God to carry me, but I thank God that He reassures us that its actually a good place to be. It’s better for me to be in the dark being carried helpless by Father God than to be stoking a fire on the forest floor and huddling in close for light and heat.

There’s still a lot of doing that happens in this kind of darkness. In Hebrews 11 the author talks about all the guys in the old testament who did amazing things. Abraham was the Father of Faith because God made a promise to him in the dark and Abraham couldn’t see how it would happen. He believed God. Over and over and over again the author says that by faith they did this stuff, and it shows me that many great things are done by God’s people when they are just in faith obeying what they have, even not seeing the fulfillment of what they are doing. 

I’m committed to doing whatever I think God wants me to do today, I’m resting in His arms as he carries me throughout my life. I’m not worried about tomorrow because there is a God up there who will carry those who put their trust in Him. In the end all I really know is that I want to do whatever God made me for, and if I get it done when I’m 33 like Jesus did or when I’m 100 like Abraham did, that’s just fine.

Check out "out of control" by John Reuben