the lessons

I'm not going to lie, we're not doing great.

We made it safely to Columbus, Ohio this afternoon, and are staying with my Dad and Cindy until I don't know. Nikki is staying with us until we don't know either. 

We have the girls' school books and some random clothes, a stack of ties and our wall calendar.

Pam and the Edlers are in Port-au-Prince, hoping to head straight to France in the morning, Lord willing.

I will keep you posted. I know you're praying.

Aunt Marilyn says we are just learning lots of lessons.  

As we travelled from Cap-Haitian to Fort Pierce to Miami, she and Uncle Dave took turns simply and faithfully pointing out all the ways God is at work, pointing out what we can do and what we cannot and leaving it there, their faith boiled down simple. 

I guess they have already learned all their lessons, Dave and Marilyn. Spending time with them is like drawing close to the Lord.

I'm trying to learn my lessons, too.

I'm behind. 

We will forever appreciate your prayers and the texts and emails today reminding us of them.  We're all struggling, our children are struggling.

Yesterday afternoon, Jodenel, Esther, two month old Christherlie, Leme, 40 week pregnant Guesica and Leme's mama moved into our home to hunker down for the crisis just beginning in Haiti. They sent me a picture late last night on our couch, grinning and together and beautiful and "staying in the safety place."  

When I couldn't sleep in the eerily abandoned Miami hotel, 2 am, the tears still pouring, I got that picture.

It was the image of grace I desperately needed.

The world is a dark and ugly place, and I have shuddered much of it in recent days. 

But there are some ravishing Lights for the Gospel who have been our life's sacred honor to pour all our sweat, blood and tears into, in His name.  

And somehow, somehow, because we are not with them, they have a home.  

"It is our prayer that God will empower us all to keep on doing His work wherever we are, come what may," Jodenel finished his email. 

A lesson I have learned, with Jodenel and Leme: Scrap all your plans and put your hand to the heavy plow of following Jesus. Stop looking back, stop weighing in, stop considering the words of others. The work is endless and the workers few and the plowing finds us battered and bleary. 

But the Father, He is Good and so Worthy. Plow harder, friends, struggle on, don't ever look back. 

We are just learning lots of lessons.