empty space

my Mondays have been running into Sundays lately. I am beyond busy, but not the busy where you feel like you're constantly running to catch up to something. Instead my life is simply BURSTING with good things to do and to be!

Rock climbing is proving to be one of the most important things I've ever attempted to do. God is using it as an agent of change in my life. My roommate and I went one Saturday on a whim, she being terrified of heights, me needing some distraction from over-the-top emotions that were threatening to turn me into a leather-wearing, high-powered-weapon-wielding broken/jaded/angsty assassin. We took the three hour orientation and then spent a few hours climbing. By the end of the day Jenn asked me if we could take this seriously. I said 'LET'S!'

After climbing a few more times to make sure it wasn't infatuation-at-first-sight we fell hard into a love for the vertical and oddly angled. We bought our own harnesses and chalk bags and shoes and are now climbing two to three times a week. My terrified-of-ladders roommate is can now climb thirty foot falls in less than five minutes. She is amazing at belaying me and getting me down from the top of my own accomplishments.

There's a difficulty grading system in rock climbing that goes like this: 5.1 is the easiest (well it would be like a hike up a hill) and 5.10 is the trickiest at our gym (5.10+/-). When we started Jenn was doing up to 5.3, she now climbs 5.7. I, apparently being of monkey descent, am a natural climber (no kudos to myself, I was just an young tree climbing fanatic). I have worked my way up to 5.9s.

This summer is going to be one of change. I can't wait. If it's God's plan Jenn and I are going to learn to climb outdoors (that's part of why we are training so hard right now). I'm hoping to become certified in Kayaking, and we are planning already to go camping as many times as we can to practice our new skills.

I don't know why I haven't spent more time exploring outdoor education and adventure...it's in my blood. My parents put it there since from an early age they took me camping. Actually we LIVED in camp sights for a while when I was too little to even do what I love best: walk. Anyone who knows me knows that walking is my thing, probably actually the thing that brings me the most joy in life. Recently I've been starting to understand why (because I must always pick everything to pieces so I can 'understand' the why of it all, much to Sara's shegrin). Wide open spaces are my passion, I like to be in them and when none are to be found I like to climb into the ones in my heart. Walking creates space.

Why I like empty space so much is that a certain someone whom my heart desires more than anyone or anything else...He comes and fills them. If I have empty space around me, sure enough He will come and be my Surroundings. If I have space inside me, my Lord will come and fill me to overflowing. If I have space below me, say twenty-five feet below me with only one toe holding me up against a rock face and two fingers gripping to the wall, He will come and be the wind that urges me up the rest of the way.

I love how God who is in charge of keeping all the seemingly big-deal things going (like the spinning of the world and hearts beating) never hesitates to get involved in our 'little' things, the ones that keep our worlds spinning and our hearts beating.