I started going to a new small group Bible study last night. Well, “small group” may be a misnomer, since the group is about 25-large (plus 10 or so children running about, hehe).

I was actually a bit tentative about going. I have intentionally stepped back from “ministry” this year. Last year became too heavy too fast, and the Bible studies and college groups that had been such a blessing for so many years really began to weigh on me. When I found myself dreading going to group each week, I knew there was a problem. I knew I couldn’t just keep going out of duty, and I needed to reset to where the Christian life is a blessing, not a burden. But I’ve also seen these past months that I need some semblance of structure, because I can’t trust myself to keep things fine and dandy without some help.

I was aware beforehand that I knew a few of the people in the group, but was pleasantly surprised to discover several people I not only know, but genuinely care about. Many of which fall into that Great Person But I Never Get Any Time With Them category. Cheyne and Sarah (now a few months away from the birth of their second child), Bradley (younger brother of one of my good friends), Joel & Erica (one of my former leaders from high school ministry, whom I haven’t spent time with in years), and Jeff & Sarah (who co-led ministry at Gonzaga with me a few years ago). And of course a few couples and singles that I don’t really know yet but hope to soon.

This was such a breath of fresh air. It’s funny, after my reasons for leaving, how much I needed this. It wasn’t about doing anything or being somewhere. Just about being with people I care for and enjoying the body of Christ at work. So much of the blessing, too, is how diverse this group is. A few college students, a few young singles, a few young married couples, and a few mid-life marrieds. I think I’m going to enjoy Tuesday nights this year.

My parents have season tickets to the theater here in town, and were planning on going last night to the Lion King. Until my mom realized that today she had a test to renew her nursing license. So my dad called me up and asked if I was interested in using her ticket. Um… yeah!

The show was incredible. I mean, I already had some notion of the complex costumes and pupetry involved, but it’s one thing to be told, and another to watch a four-man elephant costume saunter down the opera house aisle.

But just as impressive was the set and lighting work. The audience was constantly wowed with a vivid backdrop of reds and blues and greens. A couple moments in key scenes were lit in such a way that we saw only silhouettes of the animals interacting against a vibrant screen of color. Very creative show. If you ever have a chance, it’s certainly worth the money.

I wrote last week on The Rumor Forum about my woes subletting a still unfinished house, and have been doing some thinking. The long and short is that we’ve lived there for about 5 months now, and the remodeling has fallen horrendously behind schedule. And the natives are getting restless (as should be expected).

Things certainly haven’t improved since then. Granted, a lot has been done on the house – my landlord came and spend the majority of the day Saturday working to whittle down the to-do list – but the main thing remaining, the carpet in the living room upstairs, still isn’t done. Yet another contracted carpeter has been unable to finish the job, so my landlord plans on doing it himself, hopefully this week. But one of the guys now owes me two months rent and refuses to pay, at least until the landlord personally apologizes and admits to not keeping his word on several counts – something I agree he should do, but my tenant is certainly not going about this in the most Christian-like way.

And last night another one of the guys came to me wondering what exactly my situation would be if he decided to move out (bad). And since we originally agreed to sign the leases “when the house is done,” we’re in a really messy situation.

After a couple candid talks with these guys, I have to admit now, that I have gone about this in the wrong way. I played the middle man too well, trying to remain on neutral ground with both the landlord and the tenants, and now the guys seem to have no qualms about bailing out on me if things aren’t fixed now. I guess I should have sided more with them and put the fire to the landlord as hot as they put it to me. It’s just terribly frustrating, because I don’t agree with any of their decisions (“Let’s just not pay rent and send him a message”).

What I’ve discovered about myself in this is how non-confrontational I am. Which is a strength in that wrongs done to me roll right off my back. But it’s a tough lesson that not everybody is like that, and when I stand to represent someone, I need to understand not only how the situation rubs me, but how it grinds against them as well. And I would be very wise to tuck this lesson away now that I’m single, because it most certainly will present its ugly head again once I’m married. And since I care more for my future marriage than I do for this house, my costly lesson may be coming at a greatly discounted rate.