Saturday, March 24, 2007

A lazy Saturday

March 24, 2007

It has been several weeks since I have been in San Jose for the weekend and had some time to slow down. This morning I was able to go for a run at a nearby park (and be reminded that I need to run more often by the difficulty of the run). Later in the morning I walked to a park about 2 blocks from my house because I wanted to sit outside while having my devotions and preparing for a Bible Study. I had a hard time focusing because I had not really journaled much for over a week and I had a lot to sort out. Yet being outside was so much better than in the house where there is noise, a computer, and other distractions. After awhile a woman walking her dog called out to me and warned me that I probably should not be sitting there with my backpack because there are lots of robberies in the park. I thanked her for her input while groaning inwardly. I had nothing of value in my backpack, I just wanted it for carrying my books. All I wanted to do was to be outside in God's creation and yet here I was again faced with the issue of safety. I did not feel unsafe in the least. There were no shady characters around. Sometimes I wonder if the people here are overly concerned and live in too much fear or if I am just naive. Earlier in the week I was downtown running some errands and I made a wrong turn and eventually realized that I was not in the best part of town. Yet even then I did not feel unsafe.
I ended up packing my bag and returning to the house where I was able to continue journaling. But I soon headed back to the park, though with a less cospicuous bag. And it was in the park while sitting on a log that I was best able to focus and hear the things that God needed to teach me. I felt at home in the park too as I watched some men piling up leaves that they had raked and loading them into a big truck. The escaped leaves raced across the grass, both chasing me and taking the lead at times. I love these reminders of autumn. (Sorry I know that most of you are thinking of spring and not excited about autumn which would mean another winter).