What in the Who-Haw?

My iphone was sitting next to my bed beeping at me incessantly. I reached over and wondered what in the who haw was it ringing for. It wasn’t an early morning phone call, but an actual alarm. For ten weeks now that alarm has not rang once, but today it began ringing again (see my sabbatical journal). Without thinking I did what I usually do when it won’t go off…I got up. It has become kind of a sacred ritual to get up, find something to wear, pull my shoes on, grab my headphones and the incessant beeping machine and head off walking.

I know, a truly spiritual person would have kneeled down and prayed for an hour and meditated on the Bible. I so appreciate hearing about that from really spiritual people. It always makes me feel so good to know that they are out there doing that…and frankly making everyone else feel badly for not doing it themselves. But that’s not really how I relate to God…don’t get me wrong, I read my Bible (well mostly my online Bible) and I pray. But the times I fell really close to God are when I am listening to music and trudging up and down the hills around my neighborhood.

My friend Gary Thomas wrote a book called “Sacred Pathways” describing the many different ways one relates to God. Mine has always been in nature. I often feel so confined in my thinking about God when I’m in a building trying to worship and connect with God. But just step outside and baaboom! There He is.

This morning I was listening to “Sermon on Exposition Blvd” by Rickie Lee Jones. It’s a really great story of one person’s quest to find God in their own unique way. It has been my story all these years. Feeling as if I am never quite right, a little left of center, an odd duck if you will.

And yet, when I walk and see all that is ahead of me and all that is behind me. I stop and look off into the far horizons, catching a glimpse of Mt Hood, sun poking through the clouds, Rickie singing sweetly in my ears, I just know God is right there with me enjoying the time together. He likes the view from up there too.