carbonated joy

I was out walking Maggie the wonder hound.
In the distance we saw a perfectly behaved, perfectly groomed, little foo foo dog.
The perfect little Pomeranian was gingerly prancing alongside her owner. (I swear they were wearing matching pink head bows!)
Maggie saw Miss Thang and instantly thought one thing…FRIEND!!!
SHE HAD TO SAY HI!!!
The problem was that we were separated by shrubbery.
That didn’t stop her…
She bolted through a bush (with me attached) to introduce herself.
It didn’t turn out well, we didn’t ACTUALLY make it through the bush, AND the little dog didn’t ACTUALLY want to be friends.
As we were wrestling with the hedges, the dog and her owner looked at us with disapproval and a fair amount of disgust.
We clearly weren’t their type of people or pet.
That’s okay. It didn’t phase Maggie. It didn’t bother me.
It never dawned on Maggie that she looked silly.
She was just trying to make a friend.
She is more social than sophisticated.
She would rather look foolish than friendless.
She would rather live with embarrassment than regret.
She chases after connection.
I’m learning from my beagle.
I don’t want to get caught up in the social shrubbery.
It’s much easier to live with embarrassment than regret.

In Matthew 17:1-11 something spectacular is about to happen!
Jesus is going up a mountain with three of his friends to hang out with two other friends.
That might not sound spectacular, but the two friends that they are about to rendezvous with are Moses and Elijah, biblical icons who were believed to be…well…dead.
They’re back!
It starts with a spectacular light show.
God becomes a glow stick.
awesome is ignited.
Jesus started to shine like tangible light,
Bright…intense…wonder incarnate.
He spends some time in a holy huddle with Moses and Elijah, who are there living in living technicolor.
It is a patriarch party in the sky.
It had to be better than any fireworks show.
Peter really should be at a loss for words at this awesome sight, but he isn’t…
The proper reaction to spectacular is usually speechless.
Jesus even tells them, “Don’t talk about this until I beat death”. (Which is a pretty spectacular statement, that goes right over their heads).
Jesus is saying don’t speak, just be awestruck…breathless…speechless.
Don’t rush it, let this slice of spectacular stew in your spirit like a good gumbo.
But, Peter is Captain Impulsive so he speaks up…he clears his throat…”wow!! This is really cool! Can I make you guys sandwiches or something?”
Things get awkward.
Sometimes that happens, awesome happens and we are at a loss for words, but we speak anyway. The result is awkward.
Then in a stunning turn of events, awkward is swallowed up in awesome.
“As Peter spoke a bright cloud enveloped all of them.” God covers Peter’s awkward with His awesome.
I really love that.
I have a tendency to talk in the most speechless of moments.
I have a predisposition towards awkward.

my awkwardness is often on display.

But, the really good news is that God’s awesomeness covers it up!

That is spectacular!