Do What You Treasure

Mark Twain and I share a book in the park

This morning, I visited Trinity Episcopal in Fort Worth.  Google said it was close to downtown where I'm at for a conference, and it was near an old stomping ground, TCU. Many a trip was spent in the SWC days, including a very memorable one - the night Desert Storm began,

Another trip, another church. Yawn. The rector, Carlye Hughes, launched into a fairly usual Lenten homily. Then, it made a pivot. She began to talk about end of life, and how she's never had a parishioner lament, I wish I'd worked a little more, or bought a little more stuff. No Apple Watch at unction salved a soul.

Take time to value what you treasure, and spend time doing that.

Returning back to the conference, I noticed that "lunch was on your own." OK, how to spend that hour and a half.

I'd done some research to know there was a bike share location, and bike trails near the hotel.  That might be a good way to kill some time.

I'd had the chance to visit one of the local bike shops that was having a sale. Found some tights I'd been looking for, and got them half price. Nice. I'd brought my helmet because of my next trip. Why not? Explore.

Walk out the door . . . its raining. Great.

But, as the blocks rolled by, I find the trail. It is beautiful, and there is no one around. The wetter I get, the happier I'm feeling.

Here is a short list of what I found.

A food truck coral - maybe that is lunch?

A restaurant that on a Sunday morning is absolutely packed - hey, maybe that is dinner.

An awesome couple of jackass signs - FORBIDDEN ZONE!

And then, I found Mark Twain.  Yeah, reading a book. Next to the Trinity River. Time is running down, should get back to the hotel.

Oh what the hell - take the picture. That's the moment I remembered Hughes' sermon.

This is what I treasure. Riding. Exploring. Experiencing a new town. Then telling people about it.  A little over 40 minutes and eight miles later, shower, change, and back to the meetings.

Lent isn't always about what you give up, its also about what you add.

Thank you Trinity & Rev Hughes.