Possibly glorious

TO LOS ANGELES, CA — The day really couldn’t be more glorious, though it didn’t start that way.

Instead of packing last night, I stuffed my bags this morning. It made me 15 minutes late. No problem. I still had time to catch the train, but there’s no margin. We raced up the 5 to get to the Solana Beach station. I jumped out of the car, and bolted to the ticket window. The teller waved her hand to dismiss the ID check, and told me that the train was already at the station. I’ve got literally one minute.

I hurled myself out the doors and down the stairs, only to find a dead end. I raced back up the stairs, across the bridge, then took a wrong turn only to backtrack left and stumble down two flights of stairs only to see the train start to move. I thought about running alongside and hopping on like a hobo. Instead, I stopped on the third stair, turning my head to watch the train roll by.

But conductor said, “You’re late, but I’ll see if I can get the train to stop.” And it slowed down, and with my heart beating hard, I jumped into the passenger car.

But since then, I’ve caught my breath. And it’s been glorious.

It’s a great way to start a day: an oceanside train-ride up the California coast while the sun is welcoming a new day. The soft, orange glow of the morning gives light to the penguin-donned surfers enjoying their first break. It’s a gorgeous day. A beautiful day.

But the day ahead is set up to be just as glorious. I’m heading into Union Station where some of my best friends will pick me up. They’re busy, but they’ve given up their weekend to help me find an apartment in their old stomping grounds. When I leave this weekend, they’re going to let me borrow their truck and trailer so that we can haul the entirety of our material possessions out of San Diego and into our new apartment in Los Angeles.

It’s a glorious day. Every day.

If we only have eyes to see it.

I live in God’s beautiful world, and enjoy the friends he’s given me. My family — and my new son, Nathan! — are daily gifts to me. They’re like having Christmas every day. In it all, my heart full enough to burst, and my eyes are ready for grateful tears. And the Scriptures tell me that Someone up there is orchestrating it all, to be the one who “satisfies you with good, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” I don’t know how youthful eagle’s are, but being satisfied sounds wonderful.

If I keep searching for the good, and being thankful about the good, and keep on bringing in the good, then it makes sense that I would become full of the good. Soaring on wings. Because we can’t give, love, serve, or bless out of lack. It always comes out of abundance of mind, heart, soul, and strength. If we feel poor, money won’t flow out of our hands. If we are tired, there is no more time that we can give. Without contentment, it’s easy to burnout. We can only give out of what we have.

Father, satisfy me with good.