The Legoland Convention

My path as of late has been a winding one, taking me through what seems to me to be like a dark forest. The air doesn't stir with the wind, and the sun rarely reaches even the lowest canopy, let alone the ground where I walk. No life lives in these woods; it is a dark place, a dreadful place. The wildlife knew long ago that no one should live here, yet I have somehow stumbled my way here, and haven't known how to get out.

Hope is not dead, however. There is light ahead, and the love and prayers of friends have sustained me, even as God has provided them for me. It seems I have now reached a clearing in the forest, a place where the sun can shine and the wind can blow. It is a place of clarity and not fear. It is also a place of apprehension and of some anxiety, for I cannot live here forever, and I'm not out of the woods yet.

But for the moment, the crisis that I've been going through has abated. There are still steps that need to be taken. Reconciliation is not always easy, and I have also learned enough about myself that I cannot ignore the fact that I still need help, even though I feel better. But I do feel better, much better, and that is what is most important right now. I've started to regain some of those 30 pounds that I lost last month. I had a job interview at House of James that went for an hour and 40 minutes the other day. The steps to reconciliation and healing are now underway. The path through the forest seems a straight one, for now. There is purpose ahead. There is hope now that no longer flows on the whispering wind; it howls and shouts like it won't be ignored. It can't be ignored.

Thank you for all your patience. Your love and prayers have literally saved me, sustained me, held me up when I was drowning. Yesterday was a day where I finally touched some dry land, finally grasped a fallen limb as I cascaded over rapids in a river. I still need someone to haul me out, but for now I am safe, and the danger of lapsing back into the swirling chaos is much lessened, but not yet dead. I still need your prayers, I still need your patience, because I'm not out of the woods yet.

But enough about me. Yesterday was a great day for me, but today is a day to celebrate our much loved friend, Melissa Mowat. Psalm 3:3 says, "But you are a shield around me, O Lord." Melissa, you have been the shield that the Lord has given me. I cannot thank you enough. You have been surpassingly mature, invincibly resilient, and compassionate beyond both belief and compare. You've kicked my ass enough to get me through the choppy waters, and I'll never understand why or how I deserve to have your continued and unconditional friendship. May God's blessing be upon you, and if he grants you even half the blessing that you have been to me, then consider yourself surpassingly rich. Happy Birthday, Moey.

I will now sing you a song. I will sing it here on Legoland so that you don't have to hear my terrible crooning. Besides, it can double up as the post-ending lyrics. Nothing like striking two birds with but one stone.


"Stand in the place where you live
Now face North
Think about direction
Wonder why you haven’t before
Now stand in the place where you work
Now face West
Think about the place where you live
Wonder why you haven’t before"