refreshments
by D.O.
Before I dive in to this post, I’d like to remind you that speaking in code has begun. Thus, things will come across less naturally than you’re used to, but I believe in you. You’ll get it.
This past weekend Father blessed me with a trip to College Station, TX where I took part in some serious refreshments. I’m not talking about vending machine refreshments (though Chicken E was delightful), I’m talking about the kind of refreshments that you can’t see. The kind of refreshments that would fall under the old adage “the best things in life are free.” Who wouldn’t want free refreshments?
If you’ve been reading my blog at all in the past 8 months then you are probably more aware than you ever wanted to be that I’m less than satisfied with my current living situation. Not roommate issues, and not I-hate-my-job issues; I’m good in those areas. It’s the community here in Dallas that is so pathetic. That being the case, it probably comes as no surprise to anyone that I felt it necessary to visit the town that offered me the most beautiful, fruitful, and by the Book community that I’ve ever experienced.
It is such a blessed feeling to walk in to a house or a c and have the people inside those structures genuinely happy to see you. To have relationships so deep that people sincerely miss you; that they are filled with joy to the point of physically showing their affection with hugs. People from ages 3 to 70-something doing that… there just aren’t words. Add to that mix the fact that these people are all like-minded and spur me on to know my JC better… Why did I ever leave a place like that? (I know Heather claims she asked me that before I left, but I beg to differ).
So thank you Father for caring for your dumb kid enough to give him people like that. Thank you Hendrick’s, Duty’s, Smith’s, Couch’s, EJ, Kevin Hicks, Kelly Nall, Chuck, T-Black, T-Kunk, B-Pat, Joe, Julie Anna, Kate, and everyone else that made my weekend so dang special. I’m sure most of you will never read this post, and I’m certain that none of you know how special you are to me, and that I blame on public schooling for failing to teach me how to adequately express my strong feelings in words. I don’t deserve people like you.
Comments
Awww, D.O…. I really was so glad to see you this weekend. I saw you during the service and had to take a double take to make sure it was you. I don’t think anyone else could pull off what you’re rockin’ these days! LH misses you!
DO, it definitely made my heart happy to see you this weekend. I’m excited to hang with yall in D-Town this summer, we GOTTA go climb some! I’m way glad you’re my friend. And chicken e was fabulous.
oh yes, and i picked up your latest book recommendation at barnes and noble today and am VERY excited!
D.O.! I like you alot. And I like you because unlike your name, you are not a “do” person but a “be” person. You are far more interested in being something than doing something. You d.o lots of things, thats for sure, but you are grabbing hold of what’s important in life – Jesus, love, people, rock-climbing. You know, things like that.
Press on dear brother, you are appreciated!
i felt that refreshment this weekend too….even though i was only there for about 5 hours. i also felt it from your phone call while we were both out-of-town but in the same town. thanks for being so thoughtful and for being my friend DeeOh. lets not stay strangers for much longer okay?
I LOVED seeing you in church!! It was one of those moments that I glanced over and thought…”There’s D.O. I love D.O.” Then it hit me…you aren’t normally there any more. I don’t get to just look up and see you. For a second, I was just back in “D.O. lives here and I get to see him in church every weekend” mode. Then I was sad because that wasn’t true. Then I was happy because even though it’s not true…at least you were there that day! Then I decided I should listen to the people on the stage…especially since one of them was Aaron.
I’m going to write soon about this whole idea of leaving just to leave. Then I’m linking this post in the thing I write…I’ll call it Exhibit A.
Love you guy…and if you can’t go to China…come to College Station. k?