a day away

It feels like stepping away to Indiana for literally only one full day was world travel. Maybe 'cause I had a wiggly one-year old pinned to my lap for four packed out flights in two days :). More it was because when we're in something totally different, He tends to speak to us in ways that are totally different, and that was rich. I needed a different perspective. A little shift in the crazy. 

I ate lunch at a table with a woman who told the other strangers around it that I was an incredible writer, and how some of my Haiti writing had changed her life. I'm not an incredible writer...just a processing, honest one, but I don't know. Being reminded that I have some gifting outside of laundry and meal-management blessed me and refreshed me. Realizing that I could maybe use that gifting again one day to tell the stories of people around the world, the stories of Jesus...that gave me a fresh wind. 

I walked with a woman from my Haiti life, wounded greatly from deep, unimaginable pain these past several years. I've watched and prayed generally from afar, but walking step-by-step together and listening to the whole intimate story...praying with her, face to face, that was a GIFT. 

I sat around a board room with some of my heroes of the faith, some incredibly inspiring and brilliant men and women. Looking at the globe through their lenses...looking at the mission of One Mission Society to engage the one to reach the many...hearing about the past and present and future?  Oh man, I was SO excited about what God is doing. So humbled by what He has done. So mesmerized by how His people think and work and are gifted to share the Gospel strategically, together. Some of those giants have shared Jesus for sixty and seventy years, some of them with the glory greats! Some of them in Haiti, with me! Some of them, in mega churches and mega businesses and in His ways, big and small. Being with them was so humbling.

I heard about what's going on in countries around the world and I am rekindled...both in my prayers and in my passion. If they'd passed around a sign-up sheet, I would have signed our tribe up for thirteen countries.

I finally got to introduce Emma to Uncle Martin, on her first birthday. I got to watch Emma relish time with Uncle Martin and Aunt Sharon, and many others, and be loved on by family not truly her own. I got to have an only child for a day, which had me missing everyone else...a good thing, sometimes! 

I got to sit next to a lanky man with a red mustache on the plane home, who anxiously told me his wife was in labor, and that they had seven-month old twins and a seven year old at home. Within minutes he was pouring out stories of babies lost, a baby not due for another three weeks, a frantic wife who had wanted a home-birth and pulled out pictures of chubby foster babies they are fighting hard to adopt. He didn't think I'd know what to do with his story, but when I told him I understood lots of babies, I understood homebirths and seven year olds, that I understood two foster blessings...he put his shaky phone in airplane mode and let me pray with and for him throughout our flight. He quickly understood God had put the woman and her baby in 16C for him, and I remembered that just as God sends the right good gifts to me at the right time, He uses me for others sometimes, too, by his grace.  I wonder if that little one's been born, and if their babies will always be their babies? I'll never know. 

Sweetest, though?

Sweetest, I walked into chapel on day one, and there stood Uncle Dave, our field leader from Haiti, mentor, and dear friend. I had no idea he, from Oregon, would be there, and I can't even really describe it. He was the first of our Haiti family to hold Nora. He held Ben, a few days old. He and Aunt Marilyn led us and helped us and uplifted us and challenged us and loved our children and spoke the truth with love and came over for Indian food and tapioca pudding anytime we asked and told the kids about India, about Russia, about the old Haiti. 

I saw him and just lost it. I'm losing it now, silly girl. All the buried ache in my heart over my father just overflowed onto Dave. Hugging him was same as hugging all the good things about any Godly dad. He knows us, and has done good and hard life with us, he has transparently shared himself with us, loves us, and points us to our Heavenly Father. I only got a few minutes with him, but tomorrow is Dad's birthday, and a hug from Uncle Dave was the GOOD gift.  Worth the whole trip. 

I am home, wiped, got Lily back from camp, did a lot of laundry today and packed four more for camp after church tomorrow!  Matt got home from preaching in Alabama for three days, and preaches two services tomorrow.  

It's one life we get. I've got a slew of saints around me, (you do, too) laying out the "abandoned" route.  I'm grateful for the reminders!