3 Things I Like to do

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Hey, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, daughters and sons, friends, old and new. It's Ramsey here. Three things I like to do are meditating, running and writing and speaking. So I guess that's four. When I meditate, I like to listen to music. I went looking for some new meditation music the other day and stumbled across this guy, Malty Martin, in a video. He was sitting peace flea, in a clearing, smiling, with an instrument in his lap that looked like two egg poaching pans welded together. I was immediately intrigued, as I like to make furniture out of cardboard. I thought he must be a kindred spirit. But when he started tapping and rubbing this instrument, he created some of the most beautiful music I'd ever heard. Turns out that's called a handpan. Good to know. So this morning when meditating, I listened to some of that and to some of my usual 528 hertz music. When I meditate, I pray to God. I talk to him. I pray for myself and family and friends, people whom I love and miss. When I invite him to, God speaks back to me. Towards the end of today's conversation, I ask God, is this real? I mean, I know you're real, but is it really you speaking to me here in my imagination, or am I just talking to myself? May I ask you for a sign, some evidence that it really is you who's speaking to me? God said, yes. Look to the heavens for your sign. I got very excited. I began imagining rainbows and fiery sunrises. I was getting ready for a run. It was about 07:00 in the morning, still dark. What should I listen to on my run this morning? That was easy. I had just downloaded an hour of Malty Martin's handpan music, so I headed out. I've got a running app on my watch and phone. It does things like tell me the time and distance and heart rate. I used to have this app that would either yell at me like a drill sergeant or incipiently encourage me every few minutes. Got rid of that app. I'm running, and it's dark, a little wet, not too cold. Ideal, actually. Heart rate 121 below zone five, said my app. Just getting started. I'm really digging the steady, energetic beats on the handpan. Picking up speed, I rounded a corner, started climbing a hill, looked up at the sky. Nothing yet. Heart rate 186 above zone five. Top of the hill, rounded another corner. Are those birds chirping and kids playing? The recording has joyful background sound effects, apparently. I smiled and waved at a couple of other early risers out for some exercise. I noticed the first bit of light in the sky. Anticipation welled up in me. I stopped at the corner at the stoplight. I was getting impatient by then. [00:02:57] Speaker B: Wait. [00:02:58] Speaker A: There's lots of traffic driving by. I'm thinking, when's dawn going to break? It's got to be soon. Then I heard it. An audible voice. [00:03:08] Speaker B: Wait. [00:03:10] Speaker A: God, is that you? Are you telling me to wait? Of course it wasn't God. It was the crosswalk, reminding me not to wander out into traffic. I laughed at myself and then started running again when the light turned. I've always found that God has a sense of humor about these things. And this time was not any different. I've been thinking about doing this writing and speaking project for a while now, but haven't known how to start. God's been telling me to wait. [00:03:38] Speaker B: Wait. [00:03:39] Speaker A: A couple years ago, I asked God to give me my voice back. At that time, he told me I could speak, but I should speak. His words talk about him, not me. Just recently, God told me that I should use my voice to tell my stories, too. But what should I write about? Heart rate 165 in zone five. I was in the zone now, enjoying the run. There was this ripping sound. Velcro. Another sound effect on the recording. I was still looking up to the heavens. The sky was turning more blue. It was pretty, but kind of underwhelming. Suddenly, a bird floated down right in front of me. Would it speak? A light on my shoulder. It looked at me funny and flew away. I saw a tree where the branches lined up just for a moment to make a perfect ladder. Alas, the heavens did not open up, nor did angels climb up and down Ramsay's ladder. I soon realized that I might not be in store for a spectacular sign. God doesn't always respond exactly the way we want or expect. But when we look to the heavens and open our hearts, God may have something special in mind for us just the same. This morning, God gave me a beautiful experience and something to write about and speak about. And for today, that is enough.