I learned something today:

The world isn't waiting for me. And it is not waiting for you either.

That preacher who said that you're the next big thing - he was lying. That motivational speaker that made you believe that you are just what this planet needs - he, too, was lying. That little voice inside your head that told you that you are only a few small steps away from getting credit you deserve - a liar.

"Man is born broken. He lives by mending. The grace of God is glue."

- Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (1888 - 1953)

I've been meditating on the above words the last couple of days. Whilst walking and working and talking and playing, these words have been like a strong undercurrent in my soul, giving my inner life direction.

I turned thirty yesterday. THIRTY!

In many respects, I am younger than I thought I would be:

I'm still a little insecure.

I don't have all my ducks in a row.

I haven't got this thing called life quite figured out just yet.

I still don't have a five year plan.

(I wrote these words in April 2012, and intended to share it on the blog shortly thereafter.  Unfortunately, my website got hacked or something and it has been down for almost two months.  My thoughts have already moved on, but I share it here because words should not be wasted.  My near future posts, I assume, will have something to do with the book I am releasing shortly, called A is for Zebra: Exploring the Art of Soul Writing.  Or wherever else my heart and thoughts take me.)

I want to take one more poke at this reality of abiding in Christ before I move on the third and final part of my short Jesus Way exploration, summarised by the words: 'Learn from Me.'

It's 11 am on a Tuesday morning as I begin to write these words. Last night one of my neighbours, Tawa, a visual artist originally from Zimbabwe, came over for supper. We often cook and eat together, for there is something healing about sharing a meal. It was one of those beautiful evenings where two kindred spirits on this journey of life shared and reasoned and laughed together.

The last couple of posts I have been exploring the invitation of Jesus that calls us beyond beliefism into a living and dynamic way opened up to us by the following words: 'You, follow Me.' I know that I have hardly scratched the surface of what this invitation meant 2000 years ago in the context of Jesus' earthly life, but hopefully I will explore it a bit further in the days to come, if my thoughts stumble in that direction that is to say.

In the previous post I explored Jesus' constant invitation in the gospels, summarised by two simple words: 'Follow Me.' In doing this, He wasn't merely calling people to believe certain things about Him. Important as some things may be, the bottom line question when it comes to being a participant in the Jesus way is not: 'Do we believe the right things?' but this, 'Are we actually following Him.' In this post I want to explore this reality a little further.

It's Sunday late afternoon as I write these words in the comfort of my home. The sun is setting over the hilltop to the west, kissing the green treetops with its last few breaths of warmth. I've spent the last four or five days in the Kruger National Park with my parents, and the combination of longs drives, limited electricity and almost no internet connection to speak of made it difficult to step through the magic wardrobe into my world of words. But I am here, finally, and the thoughts are pounding on my fingertips, waiting to be set free. So, as a disclaimer of sorts, I apologise in advance if the next couple of posts are a bit lengthy and heady, but I have a lot to process after a few days of keeping it to myself.