Cross-section

Spurts of laughter erupt intermittently from behind the Pastors College classroom doors. The whole place is empty except for those students and a couple other folks who are staying late after the Christmas breakfast. I'm hunched over my Bible, stabbing white plastic fork-fulls of salad from my bowl, alone in the Sovereign Grace break room. Keith Foley--Christmas music that I've been listening to all my life--stirs up great swells of Christmassy feelings and sentimentality as it plays on the little boom box next to my table. It's 3:30pm. Lunchtime in my heedless schedule. There's a sense of finality--of completion--, as I just came back down from playing guitar for the last choir performance of the year - an all-school Christmas chapel. I feel like I should be wrapping up the last few stay ends in the office and heading off to somebody's house for Christmastime bustle and warmth. But the guys are coming at 6, and every hour from now till then will be used to get the studio ready for the recording session.
More cool and different stuff to do.
That's what my life has right now.

Running a studio!! Dinners at Leaches'; Playing live music at Starbucks! Playing at church this Sunday; Random stops up in the CLC offices to chat with folks; The rare trip to a grocery store or somebody's house for care group; Helping with high-school/middle-school choir; Trips up to Philly! Late night after late night in the studio, at this desk, in this deserted building.

Cool and different stuff.

Even going home for Christmas is strange: Flying from here down to Florida for a holiday spent between 3 trailers in an RV park. I won't be back in Pittsburgh at all this Christmas season!

My excitement for all this is a bit tepid right now. It's been a long stretch without a home base. I'm sick to death of myself, and I don't think I'm the only one. My musical well is nearly dry, plus I'm sick, a bit low on sleep, and I haven't gotten nearly enough Bible in me this week. [Aha! Methinks perhaps me found the biggest cause, no?]

Tomorrow Sovereign Grace is closed, so I think I'll get some sleep and not come in till lunch time, which will be awesome. Mauricio plays at La Tasca at 10:30pm, and maybe I can even drum up a friend or two to go see him with. I have a Starbucks gift card to use, which will brighten up the afternoon, and a Christmas bonus which pleasantly changes the financial landscape. The Spanish album to-do list before I leave on Monday is by no means small, but it feels eminently doable and useful. All my packing and arranging to leave, however, isn't so neat and tidy, and I know Monday will be upon me before I blink twice. Alas! The carrot of peace is held a little further out in front of me :)

So there you go. For better or worse, a cross sectional slice which, though thin, goes through most of the varied elements of my life right now. I would have scoffed if you'd told me 10 months ago that this is what I'd be doing! Crazy how the times change.

Hm. I really need a back rub.

And salvation.

Well, at least I have salvation.*

:-)

*[Just so there's no possibility of misunderstanding, that was poignantly ironic understatement, meant to address the folly of my heart and underscore the massive undergirding of security and good news that my life unfolds upon. Thanks be to God for His incomprehensible mercy! ¡Gracias al Señor por Su misericordia incomprensible!]