08 October 2012

Down the road we go

Look at that
Look at this
Drop a stone in the abyss
Then walk away and know that anything can happen
Just like that
Just like this


My Karen and I have been standing with our toes at the edge of a precipice for weeks now. And prior to that, edging toward this place. Today we have finally dropped the stone into the abyss. Anything can happen.

This adventure begins on a path that is pretty clearly marked: finish my theology degree. But then it sort of peters out. At the moment there's no clear map, and while I have a compass it can only tell me where true north is. As there is no specific destination, I guess we're just going north for now.

Ask somebody to love you, takes a lot of nerve. 

No way I'd take this first step without my Karen. Just to be clear, she's the one with nerve.

Come awake, come alive
Common sense, we survive
Then hey, hey, down the road we go
You might learn something
Yeah, you never know
But anyway, you’ve got to go


Thankful today for being awake, being alive with this girl at this time of life. And it's true, we might learn something, you never know. But in any case we're not alone, here on the road or standing at the abyss.

Jesus, still lead on, till our rest is won,
Heavenly leader, still direct us,
Still support, console, protect us,
Till we safely land in our fatherland.


"Look at That" by Paul Simon, (c) 1999
"Jesus Still Lead On" by Nicholas L. von Zinzendorf (1721)

4 comments:

Cheryl E. said...

So very glad to see you blogging; I love to read your writings. Write more, I will be reading!!

Your Karen is a true treasure, isn't she!?! I will miss both of you, each for your special gifts.

BTW-Does the word "Saginaw" always trigger that song for you like it does me? :)

Chuck King said...

Yes, it does! Especially as a Michigander . . . we don't get a lot of our town names in great songs.

Jim Huffman said...

von Zinzendorf's hymn is a good one -- both tune ('Seelenbraeutigam' in Lutheran Service Book -- not sure if that's the one you're using) and words. I wish we had changed the words slightly when LSB was published in 2006. I wish "fatherland" (which -- at least to me -- has a weird sound) had been replaced with "Father's land," which would work both for meaning and rhythm. Having said that, I'm glad for you, and wish both of you great joy in this new step of your adventure!

Chuck King said...

Jim, Seelenbraeutigam is the way I learned this hymn, so it's hard to shake. Not that I'd want to! I agree completely about the last word in the final stanza. And why not? Hymns are an editors playground.