Passports and possibilities

"Maybe we should just make absolutely sure your Canadian visa hasn't expired." This was the suggestion of a wife to her administratively challenged husband as we were drifting off to sleep around midnight.I am booked to fly to Vancouver Island tomorrow to speak at a young people's gathering called Live Alive, hosted by a church we've come to know and love deeply over the last 14 years. This would be my fifth visit to the church I think.I love going back to churches.I also love doing roadtrips with mates. This time I'm going with my friend Ryan, a guy with a fast-emerging, and profound worship leading gift. He has a brand new passport. He got his visa way in advance.It's his first trip out of his home country.He's going to get his first stamp for the gosple's sake. absolutely love it.

Problem is, my stuff is not as together as Ryan's.We discover with that sinking felling, that my multi-entry visa expired two months ago. So at 1am this morning we're gathering together all the required stuff for the visa - and a lot of stuff it is. Please can I not bore you with all the details.Anyway, between the amazing Kirk Randolph and my extraordinary wife, we got it done and submitted by 1030am,, and now I sit in a downtown L.A. coffee shop waiting to hear whether it gets granted at 230pm.

I've developed a healthy dislike for visas, embassies and rude airport security guys. I used to say to Rynelle that I felt like airports were my second home. They just about were at one stage. I loved the travelling muso tag. Loved all the different airline 'fragile' stickers on my guitar case.But the gloss of flying has worn off a bit for me. I'm more of a home boy in a kind of un-hip hop way.I miss my family more. I have less of a Messiah complex, realizing that I'm not indispensable, after all, and more conscious of the need to build a fruitful
local church that has something worth exporting.

Thing is though, I'm still absolutely sold on both halves of the great commission. Go into all the world and preach the gospel. Go into all the world and make disciples.I'm still sold on taking new friends with me to do it better.I love the wide-eyed wonder they bring to my jadedness.

A glossy new passport with a new stamp for the sake of the gospel still has huge gloss for Me. I'm pretty sure that Ryan's passport will get lots more stamps.And his guitar case will get lots more fragile stickers on it. And when the gloss of travel starts to wear off for him, I
bet he'll find fresh legs by finding another gifted, guitar slinging, Jesus loving, gospel
preaching muso with wild eyes and a glossy, empty passport.

P.s. Got the visa. Finishing off this blog from a downtown Nanaimo coffee shop. Loving being with the amazing Canadians.