Today, I’m heading back to the coffee shop. It’s been a decent week. Some ups, some downs. But I’m ready for a little chilling and relaxing. I’m ready for this weekend. So I’m excitedly peddling my bicycle down the road. When seemingly out of nowhere! Kerplunk! A pothole sideswipes and I launch head over heals.

STARS! STARS! SHAKE IT OFF! SHAKE IT OFF!!

Slowly I get up, pick up my bike and continue. ‘Should’ve seen that coming,’ I smart.

When my favorite waitress comes sauntering over I respond with, “The normal. Please.” Then smile, and blush just a little. She winks at me and heads behind the counter to get it ready.

With anticipation I reach into my pocket, but it’s empty. Hmmm. I check my other pocket. Ohhh! There’s something there. I slip it out. It’s a little banged up. Not too bad though. I unfold it. It reads…

Hello friend,

Today I wanna talk about my initial attempt to talk about my new interest in love with community leaders. I’m hoping to make it even clearer that you never need to prove that you are enough. Never!

In my last letter I talked about disappearing from the public eye during my initial deconstruction. Well following that encounter I disappeared again. This time over the ocean to work on and develop my train of thought.

Well a couple years later I met with some of my old friends again, online this time. I wanted to make sure that my ideas actually had some value to them, some kick. The conversation went quite well really.

Initially I was concerned that they might try to force us to renounce all of our atheistic, agnostic and non-theistic leanings. As they would have in the old days. But they didn’t, all they were concerned about was that we continue to strive to love more and more. To open ourselves up to ‘the other’ more and more.

The truth is, this matter wouldn’t even have come up, except for the fact that a few baby Christians snuck into our meeting. But we explained ourselves as well as we could. We didn’t want anything to compromise the power of the good news. Which is a reminder that no matter what, you’re not out of options and you’re not the only one who has dealt with what you’re facing. So, grace and peace.

Anyway, it’s time for me to go. Take care my friend.

I refold the letter, slip it in my pocket, finish off my favorite caffeinated drink and ride back into the sunset, I mean home.