Shuffle, Shuffle, Shuffle...

No, not your iTunes music.

That was what the 80+ year old man was doing as he moved down and around the cul-de-sac outside my front door.

I didn't watch him from there though, I saw him driving into my driveway just after work. Today wasn't an especially difficult day work wise. It was breezy and quite enjoyable as I had some stellar Arizona families come see me.

But there's been MUCH on my mind for very important reasons. Reasons that feel very urgent and very much life or death. And reasons that require perseverance, reflection, focus, patience and a lot of self discipline. But sometimes these attributes are difficult to maintain and not that much fun at all. So I wasn't excited about the idea of coming home to those reasons I'd put on hold while at work. No, they've been waiting for me. And I'm not even sure the reasons are going to even respond to all the attention and time I'm giving them. The lack of assurance, isn't very motivating.

Then shuffles across Gandesa Road, Mr. very tall, very bent over, and VERY slow. Given his posture, pace and age, I'd say he has every right to have a really cool Motorized Wheelchair like the one above. In case ya want your own, it's a Jazzy Electric Wheelchair. He could be cruising around La Mirada at light speed and stopping on a dime at every cross walk corner. But he's not that guy. He's not taking the easy way out.

In fact, the determination in his stride, said a lot more than just "age had done this to his body". I actually think it's more recent happening that has him walking with such labor. Maybe an accident, a stroke, or just one morning he woke up crooked and the doctors didn't know what to tell him. Nonetheless, He literally looked as if he was dragging 30,000,000 tons behind him. One ton is enough right?!

And it was obvious he wasn't used to life this way. But he was going for it. I'm sure he's aiming to walk enough times, throughout enough La Mirada blocks, and with enough precision and form, that eventually, he'll limber up, straighten out, have the gait of his pre-accident self and be right back in step with where he was before...maybe.

But there are benefits of his journey. He will of course have an intimate knowledge of La Mirada's streets; bumps, turns, hills, cracks, etc. But more importantly, he'll have a greater understanding of his capabilities and abilities. He'll know his limits, tests those limits and will surprise himself each and every day in how he surpasses the boundary lines that used to be horribly limiting. Again, maybe. But to him, maybe is enough.

And that challenges me, for a variety of different reasons. After writing enough blogs I've noticed that I really don't ever have one response or one reason for anything...I see many sides to even a very, very thin and small plain piece of paper.

Anyways, here's three.

Reason 1: I have a great Helper, who is willing to take me by the hand and lead me...if I reach out.

Reason 2: I have the promise that things will be different. That there will be change. It's absolutely possible that this could only mean a change in perspective, but there will still be change and I'm promised that.

Reason 3: I'll know myself and my Creator, even more intimately than when I started tending to all the reasons that are keeping me occupied in first place.