You cannot but feel loved in Tom & Pam's presence. Tom is a storyteller, and it's wonderful just to hear all the amazing things God has done over the years. Not least of these was his 'bout with acute myeloid leukemia five years ago. He went in bleeding between his teeth and out his nose with all his capillaries bursting, wasn't supposed to live a day - and he has no cancer now. He is not really the type to write books, but felt led to write a book about it, called The Day I Was Blessed With Leukemia which I would highly suggest. He gave Jamie and I copies and I've only read the first 6 chapters, but it's pretty amazing.
So, he has this relationship w/God where he goes and walks along this river to speak with Him for a few hours every day. And on this path he has one place where he has hung a sign: "You are not allowed to pray here". This is 45 feet up a tree; he uses a climbing pulley to get there. He says it is because sometimes we need not to be talking so much to God, we just need to listen. Maybe you think he is crazy, but I think I need crazy folk to winsomely lead me to God. I cannot get to Him in the boring normal ways. I need him to call my imagination and capture me, and characters such as Tom seem able to do so.
The last stand-out thing that I can't not mention here is that in preparing to go to Chicago, I wrote the pastors of the (formerly mainly Puerto Rican) Humboldt Park Vineyard - Ray & Teresa Maldonado - which I attended while helping start Urban Chapel Ministries, and I found they were leaving their church. Not for any bad reason, but because they were feeling specifically called to leave it at the end of May. They don't know where they will go from there. Now, when in IN with the Robbins, Tom and Pam told me they have also felt led to step down from their 28 years of pastoring, at the end of May. Their son Kevin will take over the church in June. Tom is taking 3 months to determine their new direction. He may go away to a mountain or something to seek God. While Tom was speaking about this step of faith, I felt something inwardly causing me to pay great attention to this; I have no idea why. Is there a connection, is something happening here? In any case, it is comforting not to be alone in not knowing what is happening next, and to be watching my mentors walking out on faith at their ages (50s + late 40s?). I imagine I will never be so old that God will stop calling me to know him in risk. This is the adventure I signed up for, and however uncomfortable it may be at times, I believe that it's worth it.
There were deer in the back yard, and sometimes in deer season, Tom will just get up from his chair in the living room, get his gun, and shoot a deer from right out his door. Sitting in deer stands in the cold are all right for guys in their 20s he says, but once you're in your 50s this seems a better way to do it.
Anyway, we had a lovely visit. Can't wait to come back sometime and stay a bit longer. It's such a beautiful place. :)
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