Oh yea this again.

I may have made the comment that Treeplanting is just like war. Or that was what I was gearing up for mentally. But honestly its nothing like war. War is usually compared with extended periods of boredom with moments of sheer terror. Oddly enough I've heard truck driving described the same way. But planting is like nothing else. I spent the last nine months trying and failing miserably to explain what it is like. So much that I think I lost a real concept of what is like.

So after dreading it for a while and getting here and being grumpy about it, when I got on the block it hit me. Oh yea this is what I do during the summer. Makes perfect sense. So I had two days of going slow and finding rhythm, followed by a day of experiencing the full spectrum of emotions.(always a whirlwind) which was followed my me hitting a new level in my abilities treeplanting and I actually was the top planter the last two days. I have never highballed before, but suddenly I found a new level of determination and got faster. I'm still coming to terms with this new identity that I could be the best planter on a crew with eight vets.

Your probably wondering is it cold out there. Well the answer is yes. today I woke up and my tent was covered in ice from the weird snow rain action of the last night. and I'm set up on a hill because all the good spots were taken by the time I got to our gravel pit of a campsite. But I've endured worse. Hopefully my body is up for the challenge that my mind is now ready to go for.

On a spiritual note. In reading the psalms I keep coming across great spiritual ideas that are really hard to integrate. What does it really mean to wait upon the Lord. Clearly not sitting in a corner doing nothing. And how does one rest in the Lord, assuming that we define rest as something other than sleep. Ps 131 talks about how the psalmist has calmed and quieted his soul. I think this is a key to understanding these ideas. while not an eat Cheerios kind of decision. Resting and waiting IN the Lord are lifestyle defining ideals. In that worship Jesus with all our lives and leaning into Him as our strength and life giving spiritual support we find true life. Not that I have found that. Or that I know a six step plan. But its a dream and daily Bible reading has been great in prompting me towards that.

~CHAD