Roots

I think I remember in one of the Donald Miller books, him describing a band of traveling gypsies or mountain people or something like that…. He explained that they were some of, if not the most caring, generous and unselfish people he has ever met. So, now that I am to some extent a traveling gypsy like those DM described (I don’t know how I attracted a beautiful woman to come along on this 20 something day (lifetime) journey), I wonder if I have gained or lost ground in developing those Jesus like qualities of the traveling mountain people……….. Well, I can’t say that I am terribly changed for the better, but I have gained some insights as to how those people are different from the usual us or me. They don’t set down any non life-giving roots. When I say roots, I mean anything that attaches me to something else: I am now quite attached to Lisa on a multitude of levels, I am attached to the Jeep I own back home because it is a “possession”, I am attached to my friends and family and the memories and relationships that I retain in my not-so-great memory. However, I have very few roots for now. Over the course of my 31 years or so, it seems that myself and so many other people have gotten strangled by non-life-giving roots at some time. It is quite freeing and a joy to temporarily live as a vagabond enjoying the wonders of God’s earth with my wonderful wife; with so few attachments or roots, it is much easier to live with joy and unselfishness. I can’t help but think of when Jesus called to Peter and his brother Andrew to leave their fishing careers behind, their boats and most everything else to become Disciples of Christ…. That must have been quite terrifying but quite freeing. Here’s to hoping that as Lisa and I live our lives, we will set down only roots that are life-giving and take the call of Christ to Heart as Peter did.