Graceful ghost
So many things gone awry, the male “fix it” instinct kicks in, it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed but really, what will I remember in a year, except through laughter? I won’t remember the dryer having been on the fritz, defying all attempts at repair; I won’t remember my (truly) lovely daughter having thrown up on my wife’s phone, disabling it; and I certainly won’t remember that although our countertop was successfully installed yesterday, I still have to reattach the faucet and drains. I really won’t remember these things.
In the meantime, here’s another picture:
We’ll get a good awake-time picture eventually.
We visited Diane’s parents yesterday evening. They babysat Luke all day while the countertop was being installed and graciously provided dinner for us too. Luke was fantastic. He is definitely emerging from his “terrible twos” and in fine form too, praise God. Our visit was Penelope’s second and boy, does she hate the car seat. For the time being it stands in stark contrast to Luke, who is quite honestly the world’s easiest, most patient traveler. We’re hoping she warms up to it, or at least acquiesces to the fact that she’s going to be in it sometimes, otherwise any trip anywhere with her is going to be an ordeal. She was alert and calm while we were there, and it was heartwarming to see the extended family interact with and enjoy her. The last couple of nights she has been a champion sleeper, conking out around 8 p.m. and only getting hungry around 12:30 a.m. (which I take) and 5 a.m. (which Diane takes). We’re praying for it to continue.
A few weeks ago one of our Sunday School speakers, Joe, talked at length about vulnerability and the necessity of it in Christian circles that involve fellowship. Our class has only been around in its present form for about a year, and most attendees, ourselves included, have been a part for less than that. As one of the initial members as well as being invested in the well-being of the group, Joe was taking stock of the larger picture of our progress in becoming a group that models biblical principles, a perspective I can identify with. Vulnerability, he outlined, is a key attribute of truly biblical fellowship. I didn’t say much during the class itself but have had many thoughts about it since and have discussed it extensively with Diane. The key question for me is: Is it vulnerability something you can “engineer” into a relationship? Or is it simply a byproduct of a compatible mixture of personalities and time together? I know, based on biblical mandates, that it must be something to strive for, so there must be some degree to which we can effect it in our relationships. Based on personal experience, though, it can be a tricky endeavor. Vulnerability and openness were something I always tried to draw out of (some sessions more intently than others, admittedly) the interaction of various groups I led, be it Coffee Theology or Car Guys. No matter what I did, though, it always seemed such an elusive, hit-or-miss quality that I effectively chalked it up to personality interaction. However, I never did state it as a group’s objective quite as explicitly as Joe, and I think there’s something to that. Vulnerability has to have not only intentionality behind it, but recognition and acceptance from the other party. I could exhort group members to share the “state of their souls” until the cows come home, but without the knowledge of the goal and more importantly, the mandate behind it all, there’s a lack of vision and aspiration that hampers desire. Something to work toward.