Over the weekend I spent some time with my friend Carrielove who made her way through Los Angeles on her “way home” to North Carolina via a speaking gig in Colorado. While I was never very good at geography and am perhaps the most directionally impaired person you’ll ever meet - I do realize that isn’t even remotely a direct route. It was really fun to see her and adventure our way through Los Angeles and Orange County at a ridiculously fast pace. We managed to eat Sidecar Donuts and Balboa Bars, see Bad Moms Christmas, visit Central Market in Downtown LA then take a ride on Angels Flight, our fantastic funicular which gave us the chance to view the spectacular 500 Days of Summer Park. We walked through the garden behind Disney Concert Hall while sipping on Starby’s iced teas and then experienced The Broad Museum. It’s unique. Our final stop in downtown LA was OUE SKYSPACE - California’s Tallest Open Air Observation Desk and the SKYSLIDE…yes -we took a magic carpet ride down a glass slide over the LA city scape. It sounds really scary but actually it is somewhat anticlimactic, but TOTALLY hilarious! We ate mexican food at Rosa Mexicana in LA live and then collapsed in bed. The next day included a train ride to San Juan Capistrano for brunch and a glimpse of free range animals plus a walk on the beach, milk shakes in hand, plus in-n-out because no California adventure is complete without it! We packed the weekend full!
We also had a LOT of conversation. We talked about calling and heartbeat and seeds of dreams God has placed within us. We talked about passion and drive. We talked about love and longing and lonely and friendships. But we had one conversation in particular that I keep coming back to. Carrie mentioned that she thinks the American people are battling a mindset of scarcity - that we somehow think there isn’t enough for each of us individually, thus competition is at an all time high alongside this driving force of desire to be noticed and seen and celebrated in each of our accomplishments. I just returned from Africa so I am hyper aware of the waste and absolute ABUNDANCE surrounding us. Perhaps I even exhibit a bit of rage against the idea that someone could think that the average American “needs” for much. As we drove toward downtown LA, we passed the Citadel outlets and caught a glimpse of this giant bow adorning the top of the castle-esque exterior. With some quick google searching, we found that this particular bow was made red with 4,000 cans of paint and topped with 1-ton of glitter. Sounds like the very definition of SCARCITY. And friends, the Citadel is a pretty janky outlet mall. I don’t have any idea what 4,000 cans of paint and 1-ton of glitter amounts to in a dollar scenario, but I know there are a LOT of people around the world that have significant and very real needs. Needs like clean water, or even two meals a day, access to medication or education. I had dinner with my friend Lauren a couple weeks ago and we talked about playing the “what’s it called” game at our tables during in Rwanda and the answer from all the kids was FOOD. I realize I have been humbled and broken and my eyes have been opened by this taste of poverty, but I tell you I am so grateful and honored and consider it my privilege to look at the world around me with a shifted perspective. We don’t need anything and we miss SO MUCH in our lives of plenty. We have DISNEYLAND - a place where we literally throw money away or light it on fire in the sky every single night and we still somehow think we live in scarcity. We still somehow BELIEVE there isn’t enough for us. My goodness. I am realizing over and over and over how much I am still processing from Africa, how much He is still speaking over me, and into me, and how deep my heartbeat for a new life has become. I don’t know all that is going to unfold - but I have a feeling I will never ever be the same person I was before - and I am so very glad.
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