Aaaaaargh.

Hey people. Too busy. Too many meetings. Too much.

I have a post about God's mercy and world chaos coming soon....
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Tim Bailey

Madness

On Thursday my friend Dan, who had ridden his bike to work to train for a bike race scheduled for today, called his children from work to ask them to meet him half way home. He wanted to ride with them. He wanted to help them be healthy. He loved being with them.

There is a bridge between his place of work and his home, about 5 miles from each. As he rode across the "bottoms", a flat and extremely windy plain by the ocean almost halfway home, his heart gave up. The doctors say he was dead before he hit the ground.

A friend happened to be going for a walk minutes later and tried to revive him. To no avail.

Meanwhile his kids are riding over the bridge. Stunned to find their father lying on the ground with emergency workers desperately administering CPR, they are whisked away.

All four children decided to ride in the race today. His oldest came fourth. The other two daughters rode well. His 12 year-old son got lost, then found his way, then got a flat tire and was found weeping on the side of the road, totally deflated that he hadn't made his dad proud and won the 20 mile race...

His mom - a widow of 2 days - has to go pick him up.

The thought of this sorrow is driving me mad today.

Suits

Sitting here waiting patiently in the Buffalo Airport, I am amazed at how many people still insist on wearing the "power suit".

Every second person walking by me seems to be dressed for a serious meeting with serious people about serious stuff. I saw one smile a while back, but most of them seem to be on a collision course with destiny.

I have always said you can tell a lot about someone by their shoes. I can tell if you have been forced to wear a suit for your job by what your shoes look like.

Most of the people walking by me today have chosen to wear a suit. Their shoes give it away.

Interesting. I have not worn a suit for approximately 13 years. That record comes to an end this summer- I have weddings to officiate.

I better buy some shoes too.
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Tim Bailey

Temporary

My oldest daughter turns 14 today. Seems like yesterday she was just 13.

I remember the fears of having a baby for the first time. I remember how good that sandwich tasted after not eating all day, waiting on a nervous stomach. I love that we have had 13 years together. I love that we love to hang out. I love that we still have life to live. I hate that one day we won't.

I have been reminded this week of how everyone reacts to the fact that life is temporary and death is forever. We can't deal with it. The very fact that we work against it all our "lives" is evidence that it was never supposed to be this way.

Life was supposed to be forever. But the only way for that to happen now is to make death temporary somehow...

Hmmm. I guess that's what the whole Jesus event accomplished.

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Tim Bailey