Old Friend

I picked up a book this week that I first read over twenty years ago, and as I read I saw much of what has been a part of my psyche ... well, probably for over twenty years. Here's a taste:

• "It's time we let go of some of our insipid images of leisure to include those experiences that push us to our limits."
• "Memorable leisure - the kind that has gravity and substance - often requires an inventive kind of boldness that is eager to take on new experiences, a desire to be a participant rather than a spectator."
• "Did you ever have to build a fire in a rainstorm?"
• "Have you ever slept on top of a ridge without a sleeping bag - and awakened in the morning feeling a little taller just because you had?"
• "Historically, God's people have been uninhibited risk takers, unafraid to dive right into the heart of life.... there's more to life than riding the glass elevators at (the mall)."
• Gratitude is not an option for Christians. Possibly the greatest principle of leisure I know is the principle of insistent, consistent, persistent gratitude.

When I Relax I Feel Guilty, by Tim Hansel. Now as I sit here arching my back to ease the pain in my hip from sleeping on the ground this weekend, I am reminded of how grateful I am- even for long, rocky, terrible, 5 mile-per-hour dirt roads that take you to wonderful places.