I have one of those nights last night where everything seems sideways when I awake. Like my greatest loyalties have turned on me and I am awash in fear and isolation. Not cool.

So I turn on the radio at 4:30 and it is pushing sides–one side says bad words and the other side calls them bad words for saying bad words and the other side just stands there smiling–too many sides and no listening or love.

I don’t want to get up, but exhaustion is better than this.

So I read about Jesus showing his guys how to pray–and tells them that they will just get the Holy Spirit–so I just breathe in and I get the gift. That was easy.

So I pick up “Barking to the Choir” and read this:

And I laugh for 20 minutes–I guess the Holy Spirit decided to show up for work. I laugh to tears over and over. So much for that sideways business.

So build a cathedral right here in the dark on my Illinois couch.

[Sorry Greg Boyle for gritching your pages–but I figured you would agree if some fool like me used your story]