a couple half naked (but clean!) boys running around in a lightning storm

there are times when we have to let go of our socially prescribed 'acceptible' behavior and take joy in the moment. today i was able to experience a taste of this.

lately, some folks at the house have come to enjoy the game of disc golf. our friend will, who has been living in the house all summer and is leaving for mexico soon, requested we send him off with our third disc golf game in the past week or so. towards the end of our game, the skies decided to drop the burden of thunder and moisture into the sky and to the earth. of course, we wouldn't let something so trivial interrupt our game. so on we played. on the way home, i prayed the heavy rain would continue. why you may ask? well, after crawling through brush, water, and possible poison ivy to find a small circle of plastic, i was feeling a little grubby. add to that the desire to conserve water and energy, as to treat ol' mother earth with some respect. the logical conclusion? rain shower. literally. will and i rushed in to grab some soap and shampoo, a few towels, a washcloth, some silliness and a couple childlike hearts, rushed back out under the part of the drain that was overflowing, and scrubbed away. the result: i feel cleaner and have a joy that comes from acting like a child while using what our Father and Mother were blessing us with from the sky. i know it sounds silly or insignificant, but it's experiments like these - experiments in simplicity and in returning to foolishness and joy - that are part of the process of unlearning the routines and 'norms' that choke our joy and relearning how to be in communion with and relish in the presence of our Lord.