Saturday

Dear friends,

I can't get enough of how God gifts me with the pleasure of spontaneity - among other things, it tends to involve good friends and good conversation. Today was just that. I woke up this morning feeling pretty groggy (because I stayed up too late the night before to watch a movie), so I mentally prepared myself to use all the energy I had just to get through the day.

I knew the only thing I had planned today was to hang out with my friend Judy. I got a car to use this weekend, so I made plans with her to meet up at a park and pray. Judy lives 40 miles from me - outside of TriMet service - so I rarely get to see her. Since I had a car, I thought it was perfect time to take advantage of the wheels.

We went to a park near the Tualatin River and soon found ourselves sitting on a dock on top of the water. The air temperature was warm and crisp, the sun was pushing its way through the clouds, and there were few people around - only two kayakers drifted by the whole time we were there. We sat there on the dock, all alone, cloaked by enormous, green trees on either side, with the river holding the space in between, and caught each other up on our lives. It's been a while since I have been in a space that felt so safe.

Sometime later, we walked on along the path, around the wetlands, past the blue heron, and prayed for each other, alternating every minute or so. Judy prayed for the things I shared and for some things I didn't share. I did the same. My heart felt at peace.

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I was still feeling tired so I went home and took an hour-long nap. I woke to my sister opening my door to her friends who had stopped by. I felt a little exposed, but not as much as I have in the past. Also, I genuinely like these friends of hers, they have adorable kids, and they live in Seattle, which makes for yet another contact there.

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Sometime that afternoon, I got a invitation from a friend to come to her birthday party that evening. Amanda is a friend I don't see that much, but enjoy being with every time we do get to hang out. Because I had a car and nothing planned for this evening, I decided to go.

Just before I was getting ready to leave, a new Lymie called me. I had known about her for a few weeks, and I was pleased to get her phone call. We spoke for about an hour, and in that hour I came to realize that one of the benefits of having Lyme is the opportunity to coach other Lymies, especially newbies like this woman. I remember what it felt like to have no prior to knowledge of Lyme, to not know anyone else with Lyme, to not understand the dynamics of the disease, and to have no clue as to the controversy there is to get appropriate diagnosis and treatment. I enjoy resourcing people with information; outfitting them with basic principles and perspectives in order to navigate the medical establishment; and modeling for them a new way to live. (As someone pointed out this week, I like to talk...but I can listen, too.)

Once I finished my conversation with this new Lymie, I headed to the birthday party. I walked in to find a small gathering of people seated in a circle in the living room, which was a welcome relief from the typical 20-something parties I don't go to. Besides my friend, I didn't really know anybody else. Normally this would make me nervous, but I suppose I've been thrust into situations lately where I hardly knew anybody, and I made out just fine.

At one point, Amanda asked me what I did today, so I told her, including the conversation I just had with the Lymie. That perked up one girl, who identified herself as a nurse, so she started asking me about it. (By the time I left the party, I realized that I had been in the presence of 4-5 nurses.) I was happy to answer her questions, though I felt embarrassed that the conversation suddenly turned to me. I suspect that perhaps the Lyme topic provides a relief from the typical conversations about what each of us does for a living, nonetheless, it always seems to surprise me that people are so interested.

I know that the conversation is going well when someone at some point turns to me and basically tells me that I seem to be handling the illness quite eloquently. Because at this point, I know that she or he gets it, that neither the illness nor work nor any other material gain is the thing to grasp hold of. Rather, that thing is life, rhythm, peace, and being alive in Christ. It is to be found by a God who loves me and transforms me into His likeness.

So at this point, when this man or woman makes a comment about how I've handled the illness, is the point when I smile real big because I know that I have just been invited to share just how good this entire journey has been. To tell a story - your story - is not something to ever be embarrassed about. Instead, it is the truth about what God is up to - in you, through you.

A.