I’m not going to lie. I haven’t put much thought into todays letter. My mind and time have been caught up in all sorts of projects and troubles lately. So in order to make things easy, I decided that I would simply make a moment to share with y’all one of the first “writings” (if you can call it that) that really started me in considering this sort of thing in the first place.
Usually speaking, most of my journaling consisted around prayers and random thoughts, but one day I took my old journal, ripped out the pages that embarrassed me and wrote down descriptions of my present situations as well. Often times my head rolls with ideas and can’t seem to move onto the next until the last idea is written down somewhere or spoken to someone else.
This piece is one of those first descriptive moments where I realized that my mind, when I let it wander, tends to romanticize the little aspects of life. It moves in ways I don’t fully understand sometimes, but I don’t necessarily hate. This piece was written April 24th 2023.
There are lots of ways that I’ve tried to start writing in the past. Sometimes about my failures, other-times about answered prayer, more often requests, but never so often as it begins with love. Though, as I write this, I can’t help but look at the remains of torn out pages that still cling to the binding of my journal. Failed thoughts, failed prayers, failed loves. Torn pages that I’m embarrassed by. Continuing to try and start fresh once again. But this time is different. This time I still begin again with love. But this time is a different kind of love. A love that’s been with me since I entered my early twenties. It’s faithful, refreshing, and consistent… Beer. This one particularly is named Jude. A crisp Belgium beer that tempts you into a french kiss as you reach for it.
Named after the book of Jude in the bible, rather than that of The Beatles, this particular brew has been my oldest and first favorite. When I first discovered that beer could be independent. That it could be set free.
It comes from a brewery named Reformation. Named after that of Martin Luther’s brigade. As I come close to finishing my drink for the night, I find it funny to be here, at reformation, drinking Jude, as I get ready to read Confessions by Saint Augustine.
Love isn’t always what you expect. And it’s not always what we deserve. Whether it’s love for a drink, or love for another, no greater, is the love Christ shared with us.
So whether it’s love that’s succeeded or a love that failed, Christ’s constant love for us, is more than enough. As Jude said, “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy, to the only God, our savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion , and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”
