You must keep choosing truth or the rest of it is
pointless…
I have a membership to the Art Institute of Chicago—going on
two years now. A friend said I should, and a few months later, I did. It’s not
because I love art or really old furniture. It’s because everyone needs a
place. A place of refuge to sort out the truth from the lies. A place to read
and journal in peace but not too much peace. A place to be inspired. In
Seattle, it was Three Tree Point. In Chicago, it’s the Art Institute. Very
different, but for me, very much the same.
I was there last week. The strangers wait in line, but I
walk right in. They have a member lounge with free coffee and tea. During the
months of November and December, there is also hot chocolate. I like to roam
the floors before I head to lounge. I people watch and listen in on foreign tongues.
Eventually I find my place at the bar sipping cocoa and
staring at a wall. I read a bit to set the mood, and then I sit back and wonder
about my life. This particular day, I review my past year. Highlights.
Lowlights. Mostly lowlights. Mostly because I made them that way. I spend the
rest of my time thinking about Earl Palmer and my week in Oxford studying
C.S.Lewis. I’ve spent days thinking about this particular week. Something about
it.
C.S. didn’t become a Christian until he was 32. He didn’t
get married until he was 58. He didn’t fall in love until 59. He was frequently
depressed and often poor—giving away most of his money. But, the man had
friends. Good friends. And he was a
good friend—the best I’ve ever heard of. He was patient in his life but always
seeking. He was mellow.
I’ve been feeling that way a lot lately. Mellow. I think
it’s because I know I’m going to keep changing, keep seeking, keep making
decisions, and then keep changing my mind. I am not putting my weight down on
any one place or job or person. I finally understand that the Gospel allows me
to be free of that pressure. When I put my weight down on truth, it makes sense
out of everything. It illuminates all the scenes I’ve already seen and pulls
them together. It makes everything else settle down. It allows me to be mellow.
How thankful I am for this truth. It is where life begins
and anxiety dissolves.
May you find a bit of truth this season in whatever form
it’s delivered. You can never quite guess.
