Coming Together

I'm exhausted today after not going to bed earlier last night. I've been mildly productive while working from home, but also feel distracted by the internet. But something dawned on me today as I was looking at a position in a chess game that I'm pretty sure I can't mess up. Things are really coming together for me this week.

First, I already wrote about how I've won a few games. This is in stark contrast to how I played earlier in the year. I think that I might actually have a chance to keep my rating above 2000. That would be nice.

Next, I finally feel like the history of the Jewish nation is starting to gel for me. I am reading through my Bible plan at 3x speed lately. I'm just voracious for the Word. And in reading through 1&2 Samuel and 1&2 Kings much more quickly I find that it's all starting to gel. Now don't ask me to name all the kings of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms. I know that Ahab was particularly bad and Josiah was particularly good. I knew that from previous readings. But I think this is the first time that it all started to make some sense. This is one aspect of Scripture that always seemed very elusive to me. It's kind of like when you have a hair hanging over your eye and you can't quite grab it.

Finally, I actually took the time to blow on the old harp a little bit. I think I quit it in favor of the guitar a bit too soon. I like playing melodies cross-harp so that they get a bluesy sound. But in order to do that you need to be able to reliably hit the 2 step 3 draw bend. That doesn't always happen for me. I realize now that it needs more work. Frankly, given where I am with music, it needs more work than my strumming skills since I know just enough chords to play just enough songs now.

What's also cool is that I can passably play Amazing Grace on the guitar and harp simultaneously. I think I'm ready to play for the family at the beach.

Don't get me wrong with all this. I'm not about to beat Chessmaster 9000. I'm not going to get an honorary PhD in Old Testament studies anywhere. And I don't think I'll get confused with Bob Dylan anytime soon (this may not be such a bad thing). But it's nice when some things that once seemed so elusive begin to come together.