The Evolution of Conversations of Jesus

Anyone who knows me, knows I start each plane ride with a little conversation with Jesus.  A couple weeks ago I had several plane rides to reflect on that little conversation and how it has evolved.  My first travel “conversation” happened on the back of a motorcycle on my first ride.  I did really well on our gravel road, but then we hit the pavement.  All I could think of was just how close that pavement was as it passed by at a rate of 60 miles an hour and “Please, God, don’t let me die today.” was born.  That little conversation carried me through many bumpy flights when we were up here before and every motorcycle ride I’ve ever been on.  Sometimes it became a conversation starter, “Wait, I can’t die today.  I don’t have a will made. . .Later, on another flight, it got even stickier.  “Please, God, don’t let me die. . . But what if we go down and it’s really bad?  I might rather die than live in that state.  So, don’t let me die unless I’ll be in really bad shape.  But where do we draw the line between the two? God, use your judgement, you know what’s best.  But . . . that’s still pretty tough.  Uh . .  . Jesus keep me safe.”  The evolution had begun.

Then, on the back of a motorcycle again, it got a little deep.  We were cruising along at a rate of speed faster than I cared for, but when you’re number two in a line of a dozen bikes, you can’t fall back and do your own thing.  As we sped by a rock face I felt was far too close, “No, really, God, I mean it, don’t let me die today.”  From there we launched into a pretty lengthy discussion about the faith of mustard seeds and whether that was a lesson in faith or if it was really just spiritual blackmail.  So my conversation became simple.  “Jesus, keep me safe.” and that was it.  I have faith so the conversation need be no longer.  Then, my last flight happened.  It was one of only three flights attempted that day because of the weather and one of those went back without trying to land because it was so bad.  As I’m staring at the floor and gripping the seat, all I’m thinking is “Jesus, keep me safe.  Jesus, keep me safe.  Jesus keep me safe. . .”  Obviously, I’m a work in progress and He still has much to do.

Salmonberries

Picked berries or "party in a bowl"

Being a country girl, I have spent plenty of time waging battle with vicious briars and risking the serious discomfort of chiggers for the yummy goodness to be found in blackberries.  I suppose I inherited the satisfaction that comes from bringing home treasures from nature since my dad was actually picking blackberries when I was born.  He simply enjoys the picking part, I on the other hand endure the picking part for the those little black bundles of goodness.  They are yummy in jelly, they are yummy in pie, and they are especially yummy with a little sugar on waffles.  This summer, however, I was a little dejected because I didn't get to pick any blackberries.  I didn't have the time to spare to pick them and was actually a little relieved it was too dry for them to be worth picking.

Little did I know, I had a little surprise waiting for me in Alaska:  salmonberries!  The plants and berries are very similar so they are clearly related to the blackberry.  Blackberries, though, have giant thorns that reach out and grab you, while the salmonberries have small stickers that I didn't really notice.  Salmonberries also come in two varieties with two different colors which can make determining ripeness a little challenging, but that brings the effect one website I ran across described as looking like a "party in a bowl".  You also don't have to worry about running across ticks, or chiggers, or snakes while picking them.  I kept finding myself stepping very slowly and looking in the bushes for snakes as I picked.  Then I would have to remind myself that I am in Alaska.  There are no snakes.  Only bears.  Then a really strong wind came through and stirred the bushes up while I was picking and gave me a moment of panic as I thought a bear might make me dinner.  Since there was not bear, I was able to make the berries my dinner.  They have a hint of a blackberry flavor to them with a mixture of a floral flavor as well making for a very yummy, and festive pie.

Salmonberry pie

And it's still festive

Technological Revolution

We have internet!!!  And telephone!! And TV!! Okay, that’s not really a technological revolution, but it definitely feels like one at this point.  Maybe I can be a little more regular in posting now that I don’t have to go to the school to get online.  Living in a remote location obviously complicates things.  We have to fit into the technicians’ schedules which can be challenging in itself.  Since it takes longer to get here and back, they really have to give an entire day of their schedule to the trip to leave room for unexpected delays.  Since they are losing an entire day to the job and will have to pay a decent chunk of money for transportation, being able to wait until there is more than one job to do while here is also beneficial.  Then, even if everything else has aligned itself perfectly, we still have to contend with the weather.  It doesn’t matter how perfectly everything is arranged if the winds are too sketchy for the planes to fly.  So getting it all in place has taken a little while, but now that it is here, we are celebrating!

Technology has also been the source of a serious internal struggle.  I have always taken a little bit of pleasure in not having a smart phone.  Anyone who knows me, knows I am certainly not glued to my cell phone.  I treasure the freedom to experience and enjoy the moment rather than missing out on something because I’m so busy trying to capture and share it.   To be honest, I may or may not even have my phone with me at any given time and whether or not it has been charged recently or turned back on after charging is equally questionable.  I do not need a smart phone.  I do not want a smart phone. . . I have a smart phone.  Now THAT is a technological revolution.  One I am not happy about, I might add.  I am nothing, if not practical, though, and it ended up being the most practical choice.  While it makes absolutely no sense, the cell plan is actually cheaper with a smart phone than a “basic service phone” (they seem to get a little offended if you call them dumb phones).  On top of that, with WiFi calling, I can use my cell phone in the village.  Apparently WiFi calling’s not a new thing, but I have never heard of this strange voodoo magic.  Who would have thought  living in the bush would force me to join the technology era, but irony has always been the story of my life.  I guess I shouldn’t expect that to change now.