Last week I experienced disappointment and failure in a fairly public way. I also experienced a mind-blowing, heart-expanding outpouring of love and encouragement from friends, colleagues and loved ones.

Once again, I am reminded that, without risk and messiness, I would never know grace. I would not begin to comprehend mercy. I would not experience that creative Love that loves simply because love is its nature.

Last Tuesday, my friend Patrick and I laughed, cried and swore as we invented innumerable “crap” jokes on our drive home from South Carolina. We celebrated his success and my failure simultaneously with a delicious island feast, compliments of “Jamiaca Me Hongry, Mon” in Wadley, Georgia. It was pretty evident that the only other people to cross the threshold of that restaurant that day were the three employees who greeted us like long lost cousins. The gifts of presence, adventurous curiosity, and openness blessed us all. Blessed me mightily.

If that weren’t enough, I checked in with my home group this evening and was informed that, in my absence, all the guys had hatched a plan: they will be coming to Church Without Walls for Easter and will help with set-up and the meal. (You won’t want to miss that glorious service of worship and baptism followed by an incredible feast. You can trust me on that!)

The entire Creation was birthed in love and generosity. With each new day the Spirit shows itself gloriously, both as blessing and blessed.