Quiet Ramblings

Conflict is something all of us go through in almost every relationship in our lives, yet no 2 conflicts ever seem to be the same. I mean sure, we might get frustrated at the same things with different people, however how we handle those situations is often different. I’ve learned through my relationships with people that often I just need to not say anything and wait til I can gather my thoughts in a way that won’t offend the other person. And often my frustration isn’t long lived and is often rooted in selfishness, which Christ is continually working on in my heart. Fortunately I’m surrounded by people who are teaching me this truth about myself and I’m beyond grateful for them.

Their walk with each other is all kinds of fun things

He watches her tumble, she laughs as he sings.

Her parents are awesome, loving, and kind

“I see where she gets it,” he thinks in his mind.

She visits his parents and thinks much the same

She gives them both hugs, without any shame.

He reads her some books that she got to pick out

He learns she’s a lion, without any doubt

They watch an old show that they both enjoy

And work on some puzzles that he wants to destroy

Well it’s been a hot minute since I’ve posted anything on here. There’s no particular reason for my hiatus, just haven’t really had much to say, and I’m still not completely sure that I do. The past couple weeks have been a little crazy, but a good crazy, if that’s possible. Some weeks filled with laughter and relaxation, while others were filled with emotion and doubt and fear. 

While doing some thinking and reflecting last week, I realized how patience has become a theme in my life. I catch myself often saying that so and so is really teaching me a lot about patience, or even “I’m trying my best to be patient with this situation.” Not that any of this is a bad thing, but it reminds me of how my walk with Christ is truly a dynamic relationship, full of times when I feel close, and others when I wish I was closer. I feel that I’m most patient with those that I love most, and that cause me to think about myself the least. Which leads me to another thought, that if I’m most paitent with those that I love, then I don’t always love people the way that I am called to love them. I don’t mean in a romantic way of course, but a love that flows from the love Christ has living in me. A selfless love that goes beyond all understanding.

I say all this not to come across as “holier than thou” by any means, frankly that makes me mad, but rather that I’m just being completely honest with my thoughts to whomever chooses to read them. Again I catch myself rambling and just typing out random thoughts and if all of this seems like it came out of a blender, well, that’s because my mind might as well be a blender of thoughts some times haha. Anywho, those are a couple of my thoughts. 

“But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe in him and recieve eternal life.” 1 Timothy 1:16

As a college student, one is often asked if they have a job outside of class, and if so, what is it. Well I most certainly do have a job, as a pizza delivery driver. I wish I could describe the look on people’s faces when I tell them that. It’s either one of instant judgement b/c they think that they are above ever doing a job like that, or they are curious as to what it’s like and if I enjoy it. I’ll go ahead and answer the question that’s burning in your mind, yes, I do enjoy it. 

Delivering pizza, or delivering anything for that matter, provides what I believe is an amazing insight into humanity. In that minute or two that you spend on a person’s front porch you can tell so much about their lives, often times much more than they want to share or would care to admit. My delivery area covers just about every demographic here in the city. I can drive 2 minutes from the store and be in the ghetto, where government provided housing is prevelant, drug deals go down on nearly every street corner, and prostitutes roam the streets at night. Likewise, in about a 5 minute drive from the store I can be in some of the best neighborhoods and around some of the most affluent people in the city. Yet no matter how much wealth, or lack thereof, they posses they all seem to struggle with the same things. Relationships are a huge part of what I get to witness. I’ve gotten to witness the working single mom who is trying to provide a birthday party for her 6 year old little girl, and the pure joy and surprise in her eyes when she realizes that the food I’m bringing is actually hers. I get to see those moments where people give a tip not because they can afford it, but because they are too proud not to give one. I witness the stress on kids, knowing they have a million things to do because their parents push them to their limits, involving them in every single activity possible.  

Let us not forget that I’m gathering all of this from a 1-2 minute encounter on the porch of their home or in the stairwell of their apartment complex. Just to put some perspective on how many homes I deliver to, on a week night I may deliver to 15 different residences, weekends, maybe 25 at the most. That puts my per week total at around 80-100 different homes a week, 400 homes a month, 4800 homes a year. I get to be around people every single day that I’m at work, and that’s why I love it. It’s the perfect balance of people and alone time in the car. There are countless other storeys* that I could tell of just the human condition, but I’ll hold off for tonight. Those are just a few of my thoughts, mostly just me rambling. 

-Will

P.S. Shout out to my one and only follower here on tumblr, LBow. You da best, now it’s time to burn the purple shoes. 

First of all I’d like to remove myself from the stereotype expressed in a certain “5 hour energy” commercial. Pizza delivery drivers for the most part don’t walk around drinking that stuff like it’s going out of style. Personally I prefer red bull when I’m tired, but that’s for another time. Most delivery drivers aren’t college students, but rather are middle aged, slightly over-weight, non-college educated, and living paycheck to paycheck. I don’t say all those things in an effort to degrade them, I’m merely stating the truth.

I however am most certainly the stereotypical delivery guy. I’m in college working part time to make some money to pay rent, be able to spoil my girlfriend every now and then, and if I’m lucky I’ll have some left over to save. On a busy Friday or Saturday night I may drive as much as 90 miles or as few as 30. As a result, I have countless hours in the car with just me, my thoughts, and my music. Often the music is John Mayer, Jack Johnson, or Coldplay, and the thoughts are some what deep and often introspective. I’ve caught myself thinking tonight about why people are so enamored by movie stars, musicians, and the like. I mean do they not put their pants on every day just like you and I do? Aren’t they just as human and flawed and emotional as the rest of us? I am in no way immune to this effect of awe when in the presence of someone famous, yet the extent to which UK basketball fans are obsessed with their players is beyond me. I can’t grasp why little girls are so crazy about a prepubescent boy who isn’t any more mature than they are, his talent just happened to be discovered. I’ve still got some more thinking to do about this so I might bring it up again later, but that is just one of my many thoughts of the night.