de/construction

On Saturday, as I attempted to pound yet another wooden stake into the impossibly dense and rocky Julian soil, I was pondering those years and years of education. "This is why I got a Master's Degree," I said to my brother, Phil.

Just lately, it seems like life is full of construction. And deconstruction. (Er, I guess they call that demolition...) We're in our new home, and Matt's been busy tearing out old stuff and preparing for some new. We're still slogging away at this house in Julian.

But, then, nothing balances me quite like some good, physical work. That actually makes stuff. It's satisfying in a different way than most pastoral work--the results are immediate. And, usually, a good whack with a hammer can make just about anything work out.

[Please note that I am in no way endorsing whacking church people with hammers.]

And it leaves signs: sore muscles for days to follow.

Today, I totally impressed some 60-year-old plumber who was also looking for copper pipe fittings in Home Depot. Apparently, I didn't look like his idea of a normal copper pipe consumer. That was fun.

I can only wonder what fun will be ahead.