Beginning Again

“If you wait until the conditions are perfect, you’ll never write a thing.” - Andrew Peterson

I’m baaaaaaack.

I kind of gave up on this project a couple years ago. Well, 4 years to be exact.

I’m not sure why I stopped writing, or what prompted me to abandon this blog (a “blog” that nobody really knows about or reads btw). But if you have somehow stumbled upon this… I’ll tell you this. I had grand plans for this platform.

I was going to write a post every week. I would slowly gain readers, who would become fans, then more and more followers would start rolling in. A major publisher would discover me and give me a book deal. I would be the next Bob Goff. Impressing readers with my creativity and profound story-telling, taking them down an old dirt road of twists and turns that would eventually lead to some deep spiritual truth or life lesson. Then people would buy my book, I would make a lot of money, build a hobbit hole in a hill behind my house, spend my time building things and writing more stories. In the evenings I would gather my friends around a fire pit outside my hobbit hole, sipping bourbon and puffing our pipes, telling stories, discussing deep ideas, planning adventures and dreaming of doing something big. Something significant. Something that would change not only the world, but the hearts and lives of people. All the while, I’m becoming not just a hero, but a legend. Because in the words of Babe Ruth, in the cinematic jewel that is The Sandlot, “Heroes get remembered. But legends never die.”

Well, needless to say, none of that happened. But that is not to say that nothing happened. Over the last four years, my life has been filled with plenty of stories. Stories of loss, failure, job changes, losing myself, struggles with mental health, trials in our marriage, sick kids, more kids, clarity, joy, restoration, accomplishments, finding myself again, moving to a new city, coming home. And that’s just the surface of the surface. There’s an iceberg underneath all of that. 

So why did I stop? Why am I back? Why now? I don’t know really.

Maybe it’s because of an old International Scout. Camille’s sister and brother-in-law live on a farm just outside of Louisville, KY and we went to visit them this Christmas. Josh, my brother-in-law is one of the most creative, driven people that I know and he always has his hand in some new (usually big) project. And he can pretty much buy, flip and sell anything. 

A few weeks ago, he found this old International Scout rusting away, half buried in a neighbors field and immediately saw potential. He offered his neighbor a little bit of money to haul it away and the guy agreed. And a couple days later, after giving it a bath and getting some air in the tires, Josh and I were loading this old vintage 4by4 onto a trailer, having sold it and turned over a modest 500% profit. Then off she went, on the road to being restored and driven once again.

I guess my passion for writing is kinda like that old Scout. Once upon a time, it was beautiful. It was something to be proud of. It embodied tales of adventure and all the miles logged out on the open road. But at some point along the way, I just sort of abandoned it. Days go by, then months and then years. Then a few months back, my friend Andrew Peterson, came and dug it up, cleared away the weeds, put some air in the tires and encouraged me to begin writing again. There’s more miles to log and stories to tell. 

Also, I need to confess something. Andrew Peterson has no idea who I am. But he has greatly affected my life and my faith and now my writing. Andrew is singer/songwriter, a theologian, an artist, a poet, a gardener, a father and a follower of Jesus. To me, he’s a legend. He is one of the poets I have known. He wrote a book about songwriting and story telling, called Adorning the Dark. After reading it, I remembered that I have stories to tell.

In his book, he wrote, “The best thing you can do to write your book is to stop not doing it. Just stop it.”

So I’m going to stop not doing it. I guess my hope in beginning to write again, through this medium, is that all these stories might be compiled into one big story and eventually turn into a book. Yeah. I’m going to write a book. Like I said, I have stories to tell. Stories God has given me. Real life adventures full of both peril and joy. Stories that I need to get out. The Lord gave me the heart and mind of a storyteller and I don’t want to waste that. And the best thing I can do is to begin again. So here goes nothing …