From the city to the country.

Yesterday (Friday) was an eventful day. I got up at around 6:45AM to make a train, to get to Lyon. we got to Lyon (Sébastien and I) a little early, so we went to Starbucks. It was kinda cool, absurdly expensive (almost $6 American), but we met a cool barista. Her name was Joshua, which I thought was pretty cool. After coffee we headed to the consulate.

The Consulate there is this 4 room apartment...All that authority in such a small place on the 3rd floor of a complex. The process was kind of nerve-wracking, but I got through it. I'll have my passport in 3 weeks. After that we walked around Lyon for a while and just talked about what it means to deny oneself and to live a life driven by love. As we were walking I got hit by a wall of sound...It may be corny, and proof that Americans define other cultures by the movies they watch, but I heard an accordion player on the street and that my friends is when It finally hit me.

I'm in France.

so I laughed, and got really happy. Then we kept walking. We walked around looking for a place to eat. We ended up in Old Lyon, a part of the City that has cobblestone streets and some really old Cathedrals. I didn't bring my camera because we were in a rush to make the train, but I hope to get out there again before I leave. We sat down for Lunch and had Fondue. It was tasty and provided more time to have some good conversations about doctrine and life and all that fun stuff.

After lunch we went on the hunt to find a tobacco shop so I could find a new tobacco pipe. It was quite the trek. and took us all over the city, during our search we met a homeless man named Ian. He was from Jamaica, so he spoke English. we talked to him for a few minutes. He was a huge encouragement because he knew Jesus, and even though he was begging and homeless, he trusted God to meet his needs. after that I got to pray a blessing over him. When I had finished praying he said "let us say the our father together" So I got the chance to say the Lord's Prayer with a brother who was originally from Jamaica while on the streets of Lyon, France. God is awesome!

So after meeting Ian, we finally found the Pipe Shop and I bought my Pipe. This dude made his own pipes and looked like he belonged in a Pub in Ireland haha. We smoked the Pipe on the Street and then began our trip back to Saint Etienne. On the train Ride home I finished reading the story of Joseph and read the first Chapter of Exodus. I'm thinking about maybe reading through from there, or at least trying to. I realized something when I was reading it. When Joseph and his brothers reunited they got "intoxicated", and there wasn't anything spoken against it. It was a time of celebration. When i read that it hit me. There was a time before the Law. That's just crazy to me.

When we got back I stumbled up to my room from walking around all day and just journaled for a while, got some peace, and rested. I was planning on spending most of the night resting and reading, but then Alice knocked on my door and invited me to go on a hike with her sister, dad, and her. I decided to go.

That very well may have been one of the best decisions I've made since being here. The Hike was 2 hours long and went up and over one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. to top it all off, we started right as the sun was starting to go down. (get this, the sun sets at 10:30 PM here during the summer). and got to the bottom just after dark. It was an amazing experience. I got to talk with Alice, which was cool, kinda went back and forth between french and english. the good ole franglais. It was the type of thing that let's you realize that God really wants us to enjoy our lives, and that it is for freedom that Christ has set us free.

It's also the type of thing that helps me realize how I've been half living my life. I've experienced a lot. I've had so many opportunities to do things, but even the things that I did do, I did because I felt that I had to do one thing or the other. I felt obligated by God, by my family, by my friends, and most of all by myself (I'm coming to realize that few, if any, of the people in my life really expect me to do anything but be me.) So I live my life in fear of not meeting those "obligations" and in turn don't really live because " whatever does not proceed from faith is sin". and sin is the exact cause of death.

It seems to me that nothing should be done out of obligation, but out of desire and ability. Sure there are things that we must do, but our attitude should never be an attitude of obligation. Jesus did not come to earth because he had to. He came to earth because he so deeply desired us. If we do something without desire, then how can we be joyful in it and thus "be joyful always"? and if we feel obligated to do something we cannot, such as be everything to everyone, or simply to be something that you are not created to be, how will we do it? For me, I often feel obligated to do things I can't, rather than deeply desiring the things that I can. I am not speaking against Christ's Righteousness in us that strengthens us to do all things, but having the strength to do all things does not provide the opportunity, and thus, ability to do all things.

Just some thoughts

Comments? Additional thoughts?