Weather Report

Jon and I walked down to Sun Studios and took a tour today. It was fun. And while Jon called it a "tourist trap" but patiently humored me by paying for both of us to take the tour, I very much enjoyed myself.

Coming back, we shed our jackets and sweaters in the sun, but we never really got hot. The air felt warm with a crisp edge of coolness to it as if to say, "Enjoy this. Fall is on its way."

I seriously think I might be in love with the bread factory. The scent of fresh baking bread hangs tantalizingly in the air whenever I walk by and often it wafts down to the street around the apartments. Today smelled like yeast. A few minutes later the scent changed and I told my brother, "It smells like fresh donuts - like when they cook them in the oil." He didn't say anything in response, but I decided to take his silence as agreement since - technically - no response was needed, I suppose.

There's something about this city. I had decided a few days ago that I probably didn't like it here. I would certainly never live here. But there's something beautiful...amidst the brokenness and the urbanity...something that calls to me. It's as if Memphis has a secret that it's waiting to show me if only I'll give it the chance and get to know it better.

I've never been in a city like this one before. It's not dirty like L.A. It's not destroyed like New Orleans. A few minutes drive leads to autumn-changing forest, tree-lined roads, and green fields. The fingers of the country reach into the city and refuse to lessen their grip amidst the broken windows of abandoned factories and the lots overgrown with weeds. There's a richness. Maybe it's the music that carries the city. The blues express the longings of the soul.

Life is hard here. It feels spiritually exhausting. My brother told me earlier, in reference to the casual nature with which the Christian life seems to be widely approached, "Welcome to the Bible Belt." But God isn't gone. He hasn't abandoned this city. He is just as near as He ever is, simply waiting with open arms for His beloved to turn to Him and His embrace. (I am completely referring to myself as much as anybody else, at this point.)

Jon and I went on an adventure to the mall late this afternoon to get ourselves "snap belts," as called by the girl behind the counter who sold us our buckles at Sun Studios. (The purchase of our buckles at the studio inspired our quest for accompanying belts.) The clouds started to roll in with an abundance of texture as the sun hung lower in the sky. Brilliant pink and orange mixed in the blue sky as white light broke through the clouds and smeared the gray billows. I stared out the car window window over his shoulder and marveled at the strength and gentleness of the wonderful beams that I could only describe as "God's glory." Tonight, the rain returned.

I was told today that I needed to experience the autumn weather so that I could describe it to others unfortunately unable to do so. So, here's my weather report: cloudy with a chance of hope.