This week we were challenged to see the creation that constantly surrounds us. Not just the nature, or the people, but the creations that have been made by the people and nature surrounding us. That probably makes no sense, does it? Let me put it this way: All week long I have been surrounded by a church, a community, that has a very distinct culture. When walking through the Garnett Church of Christ office you will probably see a LOT of coffee cups laying around here and there, and a bunch of hippy looking people walking around barefoot with no makeup, and chaco tans on their feet. We don't sit in chairs the normal way, at least not when we're talking to each other casually, and different music can be heard as you pass by each office. Beth's office has the sounds of Waterdeep overflowing through her doors, while our pator, Greg, has some kind of odd tribal sounding Asian music. This at least has been my observation, I haven't asked him about his music choices, nor do I plan to, I just sit on the floor in the middle room, and marvel at the sounds all around me.
A culture has been created at Garnett that tells me that it's okay to kick off my chacos and sit sideways in my chair. The culture has been made by a certain, unique group of people that surround me every day. God created the world to have a certain majestic culture, and he created us to create more, to add to his creation with our own unique personalities. No matter how "unartistic" someone may think they are, I swear they probably don't realize that every day they make something or someone feel a certain way.
I have a friend named Kylie, she is my hero, and every time she walks through the room, no matter how chill of a mood I am in, I automatically get phyched. She walks with a little bounce in her step, and talks louder, and laughs more frequently than is necessary, but the way everyone changes when she is around shows how Kylie creates a mood everywhere she goes. When Kylie is around, everyone is free to snort when they laugh, and make strange noises when something bad happens. She brings joy to everyone in any situation. She is an artist, she creates.
The creation that surrounds me, rather often, usually goes unnoticed. Sometimes its hard to be struck by something when you see it everyday. This week, I decided to let myself get culture shock everywhere I went. I actually listened to the music playing over the speakers at Starbucks, and actually saw the people I look at almost every day. I payed attention to the details of an environment, the colors people wore in a movie, the cracks in the pavement as I walked through the park, and you know what's funny? Everything became more beautiful to me.
Creation is a part of the story that I feel many overlook. But to me, it's the most beautiful aspect of the Christian culture. I've always had an odd fascination with creation. My family has encouraged me to create, and to move since I was tiny. I grew up making up games on the trampoline, and running around the neighborhood pretending to be someone I'm not. Neither of these bits from my childhood can be hung in a frame, or pasted in a scrapbook, but it is a creation that I will never forget. My God did that.
He created something too big, and too beautiful to be put in a frame. He spent days creating a perfect creation. He didn't look at the world at the end of the sixth day and say, "Well, It's alright... I guess." No. He was proud. He said, "This is good." He was proud of his creation, and wanted to be a part of it.
Many marvel over the fact that God walked with Adam in the Garden. They can't imagine what it must be like for Adam, but what I'm wondering is how must God have felt. He was walking alongside his most beautiful and perfect creation. I hope, one day, I can know what that feels like.
Creation, it's something God didn't keep to himself. He gave us the ability to create. The ability to imagine something to be the way we think it ought to be. So why don't we all let ourselves loose to create something that we can be proud of. Something that we can look at and say, "Man, this is good."
I had been dreading the trip to John Brown University since I first heard about it. Every time it was mentioned I had to force myself to hold back a physical grimmace. It was very clear that I did not want to go to JBU for the Link Year conference at all. The other Link Year students from Kanakuk were all going to be there. A solid group of 31 kids who all knew and loved each other. We (Cody and I) were going to be the two weird kids, knowing nobody but each other. The thought of it was dreadful. I had nightmares the entire night before, and woke up with horrible anxiety. The thought of going was eating me up. I couldn't stand it. I had a horrible attitude, but somehow, God worked around it, like He always does. I was compliant, and He was persistant. 
