Roof Top Friendship

Roof Top Friendship

Leslie snapped this one on the 4th of July. My friend Brandon and I were up on my roof watching the fireworks around town (Leslie and Alison, Brandon's wife, were too scared to get up on the roof and watched from the deck). We could see the big fireworks show out at RJ Corman's place and even more exciting...all the local neighborhood firework shows around Wilmore. But the longer we were up there it became less about watching fireworks and more about just sharing life. It was one of those moments when your soul opens up and you are fed by the connection with another friend. We talked for for hours about our lives growing up...how it shaped us...our families...where we are now in life...what God is bringing us through. I look at this picture now and just think of extravagent friendship...or what I would now call "roof top friendship". What is roof top friendship? I can't put it into words just yet...it's something to do with mutual listening and having an other oriented heart. Seeing this picture is pointing me in a good direction for this. It was a time of great blessing. I know in my heart that these are the kinds of relationships that God desires for us to have.

I just want to walk like Benjamin.

My dear friend, Dan Lowe, wrote this poem this past February while he was watching Benjamin climb up and down the stairs outside McKenna Chapel. Leslie was close behind. He scribbled it down on a sheet of notebook paper and gave it to me. I just found it again this morning in my journal and wanted to share it:

I want to walk like Benjamin,
one step at a time up and down the stairs
while you're there to catch me when I fall.

So often my legs are too short
and my eyes are too big,
but with a grin on my face
I take a leap,
but before I stumble your hands grab mine
and I grin like Benjamin.

Walking up isn't so hard
because I just trust the next ledge.
You're right behind me,
but when I turn around all I see is edge
and my feet are to short
and my eyes are too big
but then your hands are there and I remember to giggle in delight.

I just want to walk like Benjamin.

Dan Lowe 2-24-05

There is so much in this little poem. Today I feel like I'm at the edge and my legs are too short, my eyes are too big. I've got a lot going on right now. I want to giggle in delight and grin like Benjamin! Lord open my eyes to see your hands behind me.