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| My new favorite picture of Mario -- June 2017 |
On Sunday, our house was swarming with honeybees. They started to swarm on Thursday, outside
the front door, along the ledge of our entryway. Each day the swarm increased until today,
where, as if to celebrate Mario’s birthday tomorrow, they are swarming outside
and inside of our garage. Not wanting to
use pesticides, we called a local bee keeper who promised to pick them up
tomorrow evening.
“You know we’ll be at communitas tomorrow,” Mario said,
right after I told him. We were in the
kitchen, where I had just finished making chicken enchiladas and a cake for his
birthday.
“Are we going?” I asked.
“I mean, tomorrow is your birthday!
We’re supposed to have a birthday dinner together. We just got this new dog. Now the beekeepers are coming…”
“I know,” Mario sighed, stretching his arms, “I just don’t
want to miss communitas.”
Communitas is a gathering of our friends, kind of a Bible
study. Together we decided to read the
Bible all the way through in one year, using a structured and disciplined
approach. We meet on Monday evenings to get together and discuss. Communitas
is a Latin noun, loosely translated to mean “a community of equals, friends
who are experiencing liminality together.” I love these friends…but really?
As I sit here, writing Mario’s birthday blog, I realize that
this is an example of Mario being steady and focused, even in the midst of chaos.
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| The night before we wed - 1987 |
When I met Mario, 31 years ago, this was one of the first
things that impressed me. He was steady
and strong—calm under pressure. This was
a rare quality in a young man; it still is.
When we became Christians, Mario’s focus became even clearer. Each decision he made is now measured by what will bring him closer to Christ.
Tonight’s conversation about bees, our new dog, enchiladas
and birthday cake illustrate how normal people can sometimes feel overwhelmed
by their lives. In my world, I’d rather
retreat, lay a nice table, provide a delicious blessing for Mario, and wave
goodbye to that pesky swarm of bees. But
that probably won’t be the thing that that Mario wants to do tomorrow night for
his birthday. Mario will want to go to communitas because we’ll
focus on God with our friends –and God is who makes Mario strong and steady.
Today is Mario’s 63rd birthday. I cannot believe that he is 63. Something must be wrong; time is spinning out
of control. Usually I blog about what a
hunk my husband is and how I can’t believe he married me. Tonight, I write about a piece of our lives,
and the One who Mario looks to in order to keep his path straight. Imagine living with someone who thinks like
this—and then make him a hunk.
That’s
how cool my life is.
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