It means being able to buy a rugby-ball sized papaya for 40 cents at the market, and an imported box of Rice Krispies at the grocery store for $9.
It means wobbling our way to half-moon pose by candlelight because the power died just minutes before a regularly scheduled yoga session in our living room.
It means struggling not to snap at children who seem to think that by braying like dying donkeys (as they pretend to speak Chinese), we will be more inclined to give them a few coins...Or if you’re our friend Cecily, having your hair pulled in the middle of the street because it’s a strange color that the children aren’t used to seeing. In this case, red.
It means hastily sweeping up all the dead cockroaches on the floors inside and outside of our home each morning--dead thanks to the insect poison from the fumigation a few weeks back.
It means treasuring every email and text message and phone call from everyone back home. And thanking God constantly for the new community of friends he's provided.
It means that even if you're no good at it, you have to iron your clothes because you have to apply heat to kill off any bot flies that may have burrowed into your clothes as they were drying out in the sun.
It means cooking dinner takes twice as long, but feels more than twice as good by the end because finally, you were able to accomplish something tangible, from start to finish, all by yourself, that others can enjoy.
It means having to take your purse up with you up to the altar for Communion at church because friends have had cash taken right out of their wallets on a previous Sunday.
It means struggling against frustration by rejoicing in quiet moments of beauty: the swift sunrise, a perfect pink hibiscus blossom on the side of the road, stopping to hear joyful hymns sung in perfect a capella, admiring the parasol-like foliage of acacia trees or a gorgeous butterfly that hitherto you had only seen the likes of pinned inside a glass cabinet at a museum.
It means we realize how much we depend on God for everything, every day--and trust Him to redeem even the most unpleasant of these details.
"Because in the last analysis, all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace." ~F. Buechner
Happy 2 months, Jen and Duncan! Thanks so much for sharing all that you've learned in the past couple months in Tanzania - your perspective is both challenging and encouraging. Praying for grace in increasing measure for the months to come! (Thanks for the b-day wishes, too...).
ReplyDeleteAppreciate your notes, in awe of your teachabilty, and your writing which has always been strong, will get even better. Please collect your writings and treasure them over time.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Rachel and CoolCal, for your ongoing encouragement. Glad we're all in this together!
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