You are currently browsing the monthly archive for April 2007.
My friend asked me yesterday why I always did that. She was referring to how I always make less-than-flattering comments about myself. Like if I’m around my skinny-Minny friends I’ll crack jokes about my weight.
I explained to her that it wasn’t out of insecurity. It’s not like I say those things so someone else will say- no Christie, you’re not fat…. How lame. In fact, after hot yoga, in the change room, I would happily strip all the drenched clothes I’m wearing and shower and chat naked walking around if only I didn’t think it would make Tracey uncomfortable. I do change- but I’m quick and demure about it.
Cajuns do that. We have these silly Boudreaux and Thibodeaux jokes that always circulate. It would be like if newfies invented Newfie jokes and poles invented polish jokes and blondes invented blonde jokes. I love that ability to laugh at yourself. To be real and authentic. To let it all hang out and be okay with it.
And this is why I love my current relationship with God and church. It’s amazing how your church community can cause you to see only a part of who God is. I wish more Christians realized that God is bigger than the prism of who God is to their circle of people. And what I love is that I now practice a very real version of Christianity where we recognize that God is perfect- Christians, not so much!
We acknowledge the shortcomings of people who acted on behalf of our perfect God. Because frankly it’s undeniable. Just like the fact that I’m a little thicker than some of my friends. But that’s okay- cause before bed Desi and I play Gypsy and the Astronaut… You don’t need to know.
Desi’s mad at me because I have this little day dream about leading a team of people to New Orleans to do some rebuilding work.
But can you blame me? As I see and participate in what all our church does, all around, that I’m interested in just taking one little team of goodwill home. And coupled with my ever-growing homesickness. Home-longing-ness. Home-heartaching-ness.
On his side, he’s having some Missions issues of his own with the church right now. Let’s just say that if he does go to Congo this year- it will likely not be a WKC-sanctioned trip.
So he’s advised me to see if one of Westside’s partners is possibly doing something in New Orleans already. PAOC isn’t doing anything, but YWAM is.
But I’m not so sure I want to do it through them. Maybe, though. I can envision a two-week trip of which one week is actually with YWAM. Doing the clean-up- not the evangelical stuff they do.
The whole thing would be a bit of a departure, though. We would still do our own pre-missions training where we’ll teach about the technicalities of cleaning up toxic/moldy/structurally unsound property and then we’ll also delve into the proper perspective to have when entering someone’s personal home, which I’ve already looked into… I’d also talk a little about the heritage of the city to give a further appreciation of the work that will be done. In the independant portion of the trip we’d visit a couple of the church’s that were supportive of the locals, when no one else was, to encourage them and we could then work along side other interesting projects in different areas that I’ve found. That way there is an all around impression of what is going on in New Orleans and not just one part.
And we’d have certain excursions, of course- such as a night at Preservation Hall and a supper at Commander’s Palace and a trip on the Delta Queen Paddleboat on the Mississippi. Maybe even a stroll down Royal Street and a ride on the St. Charles Trolley, if it’s still running. I would say we’d have to book a Gospel Sunday Brunch at the House of Blues, but it’s still on “hiatus.” 
Well, it’s my dream. So I can do what I want.
