I’m being “that guy” right now…I just got through watching the Giants game with my friend Adam who I am spending Christmas with in Butler, TN. After reading for a bit, I have now busted out the laptop, am sitting in a large room with huge windows overlooking the Appalachian forests and a lake, reflecting on what I read, and I have a pen behind my ear. Yea, I’m definitely “that guy.” It is really beautiful out here though. Temps are in the 40s-50s, and its been sunny the past 2 days. We don’t have internet, so I’ll tell you that I’m writing this on Christmas Eve. I gained 10 pounds last night of Christmas goodies, and after having a couple beers, felt the holiday weight TENFOLD!

Anyways, back to my reading. After fighting the urge to read it, as I often do when I am recommended a book to read by multiple friends, I bought Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller and after 24 hours, as promised by those who recommended, I am more than halfway done with the book. And, of course, it is a very good read as well. I’ll copy the opening paragraph so you can get an idea of the theme of the book. Miller is referring to seeing a jazz musician play on the street for 15 minutes, and never opening his eyes:

“…After that I liked jazz music. Sometimes you have to watch somebody love something before you can love it yourself. It is as if they are showing you the way. I used to not like God because God didn’t resolve. But that was before any of this happened.”

Actions speak louder than words.

I plan on writing a number of times on this book, and actually plan on maybe reading another book or two this week, lots of things have been going through my head being up here in the mountains and I love having the time to get some things straight in my head, some time to pray and read – and I am thankful for this time that has been given to me.

On page 57, he says the following…if you’ve read it, it’s the chapter about the Penguin sex. If you haven’t read it, well, the title of that chapter will probably make you want to!

“I don’t think you can explain how Christian faith works either. It is a mystery. I love this about Christian spirituality. It cannot be explained, and yet it is beautiful and true. It is something you feel, and it comes from the soul.”

Anybody who has discussed faith with me knows this is similar to how I feel. The word indescribable comes to mind. Isn’t it ironic that the only word I can think of to “describe” faith is “indescribable?” Anyways, what better way. I can tell you why I pray, or why I go to church, or why I’m a Christian. I’d love to tell you these things, they are simple answers. But I can’t describe to you the joy I feel when I am sitting in the airport, and a lady who is cleaning the floors around me stops me when I’m reading a book and begins asking me about Christmas, my plans, and I end up talking to her for 20 minutes (which happened yesterday) and I can only smile and pray afterwards…I can’t describe to you what it feels like to wake up in the morning, knowing that there is something to be done today, that something God can do through me could change the life of another human being (which happened today). I can’t. And that’s awesome. That is why I am still intrigued by the Christian faith. Not because I can tell everybody what I feel all the time and how good it makes me feel. I’m still intrigued by it, because the things that matter the most, I can’t describe it to another person. I can’t explain it to anyone. Because I feel that while you can tell somebody about Christ and what he did, and tell them about living a Christian life, but you can’t tell somebody about a relationship with God, or how to do it. That true relationship with God, much like a relationship with another person, can be experienced by anybody, but properly explained by nobody.

This ties back to what I had written once about Evangelism – I have always said that the people who have influenced me the most in my life are those that didn’t say things to me, but those who I was able to observe; the Christians that have taught me the most are those that teach me with the way they live their lives, the way they treat people, and the way they treat me. Not by what they say, or what they believe, but by what they do. This is why I relate to the Miller story so intricately. This is what I mean by saying a relationship with God can’t truly be explained, only experienced; but if you intend on letting others know the experience you are having, why not let them observe the experience by the way we live our lives? Who wouldn’t want that experience themselves?

And on a side, personal note – today I have eaten 4 rice crispie treats, some cheese and crackers, 2 chocolate covered pretzels (jumbo pretzels), a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie, probably about 10 mini powder sugar covered chocolate chip cookies, and some sort of vanilla flavored crème cookie sandwich.

Oh yea, plus bacon, English muffins(2) and eggs for breakfast, 3 giant meatballs for lunch, and scalloped potatoes, green pea casserole, and ham for dinner. And 2 miller lites. It was a good day.