whoosh

Every work day begins with a twenty-minute-or-so ride from the FedEx Ground terminal to Plainfield, the kind of place that used to be a small farming community until it got swallowed up by suburbia and regurgitated as All The Great Shops and Restaurants of Indianapolis Without The Traffic, and With Some Grass! -- Oh Wait, There's The Traffic.

The ride is mostly on the interstate, which doesn't sound interesting until you try it in a stripped-down truck chassis on which has been mounted an aluminum box with shelves holding 85 boxes of Coldwater Creek merchandise, 18 tires, and roughly 150 other boxes of varying shapes (yes, the shapes vary), sizes, and degrees of insanity you're pretty sure the sender has attained. The truck is a stick shift, and in fifth gear, fully wound out, top speed is about 62 or so. I'm pretty sure four or five of my nine lives are shot.

Another feature of this trip is that I have the option of locking the side doors into the open position. In 90 degree heat, with sometimes sweltering humidity, this becomes less of an option and more of a necessary element for survival.

Needless to say, there are added sensory elements to the experience of going 60 mph when the engine's wound out and there's only a seat belt between you and any number of cars, trucks, barricades, etc. To say that stuff goes "whooshing" by takes on additional layers of meaning, to be sure.

Things are there, then they're gone. There, gone. There, gone.

It's like that on the route, too. You're taught that, as you get better, you think as many as five stops ahead. But I'm finding that, during that time, you don't think about anything else. Grab the package, get to the door, ring the doorbell, get the signature, next stop.

There, gone. There, gone.

Life feels a little like that at the moment. I hustle from 8 am to 5 pm, then get home just in time to eat, shower (or not), and meet with people in the evenings. I check my email and drop into bed at 1 am, only to drag myself out of bed five hours later. I hear these voices, and they're important to me, and I'm being as present as I can, but the next thing whooshes into place before I can even catch my breath.

Pastor Rowell, we can't get a hold of anyone at the church. When can we come out to set up the printer?

The language of this proposal is too skewed toward the purchaser. There's no way we can move forward under these terms.

Pastor Mike, you didn't have to drive all the way up here to see me...

Do you know when you'll decide on the colors for the new logo?

Daddy, look! 5-3-3-1 B-r-a-s-s-i-e D-r-i-v-e! Momma taught me today!

Bro. Mike, we were hoping you could make it to our fellowship meeting...

Honey, I need you to take care of the kids so I can get a little rest.

Son, will you be able to make it over for the reunion? Oh, and Grandpa's health isn't doing so good.

Honey, we've got to get the yard mowed tonight before it rains.

I just really think that if the pastor got out to see some of our old members, they'd start to come back.

Daddy, I want to go help you at the church.

Sure, I'd be happy to meet with you, Pastor, and while we're at it, maybe I could tell you about some of the other things we've got going on...

Whoosh.


- - - -


It's an exciting time in my life: it's the beginning stages of many of the dreams that God has placed in my heart. But I have a lot of thinking, and being in God's presence, and being present for my wife, family, and church family, that I must find place for, or I'll feel the whooshing slow down to realize that my journey turned into a treadmill.

snippets of thought

I haven't gotten into the rhythym of regular postings yet, so I'll give some random updateish type things, and a picture. Since it's 2 in the morning now, that's all you're getting.

- Driving a FedEx route is turning out to be time-consuming. And hard work. I drink a gallon of water every day during the route, and my farmer tan hasn't been this well-developed since I was, like, 11 or so.

- We finally got grass in our yard. I have the pictures, and a post should be forthcoming.

- Kristy's birthday was yesterday. She's an amazing woman.

- I cannot believe the Mavericks coughed up the NBA title. But they're young, and the average age of the Heat is 59 or something, so things are looking good. (Oh, and if you haven't checked out Mark Cuban's blog, you should. He's wrapped up with the Mavs at the moment, but if you have any interest in the kinds of people who are shaping the future of American culture, stick with it.)

- When I'm working late or dealing with things and can't be home to hold Audrey as she goes to sleep, she whines for me. Totally awesome.

- I spend a large part of my delivery day in the new Metropolis Mall in Plainfield, just outside of Indy. Very cool how it's done and laid out.

- My brother Opey opened his branch of Yeager Machinery Sales last week. All reports are that Opening Day was a success, and the culmination of a lot of hard work.

Wish I could've been there, dude.

- The church is doing well. A lot of work continues to be done that is setting the foundation for what God wants to do here. Now that I have the second job and am getting adjusted, it's time to get some more work done.

- The design work on the new church identity is almost done. It's going to be pretty sweet. (clears throat authoritatively) As well as effective in communicating the essence of our faith community.

- Finally, McDonalds returns to some real toys in their Happy Meals. Cars that roll, and wind up to do the hydraulic up-and-down thing while it's rolling. They had a run of weird girl/pixie figurines and plush...things that was starting to concern me.

- The picture below is of a stained glass window in a local mausoleum. I couldn't take my eyes off it (the picture only does it some justice). Since I first saw it, I've returned to this mausoleum several times to ponder, enjoy the stained glass, and be quiet.