That's how I felt. Just a plain ole tourist, stopping by for a visit. It's like I was a bumble bee, flitting from flower to flower or rather town to town. Never slowing down, never stopping, never meeting people longer than a flash in time. I felt a constant ebbing, "Come on, we need to see it all, we need to do it all!"
Yet as every tourist's vacation continues on, they begin to long for home. "Well," they think, "this has been fun, I've seen lots, but I am ready to go back." Vacation cannot last forever. They told me, at about 3-4 weeks in, it would hit you. Homesickness. I whispered to myself, "Nah, I'm LOVING this tourist life! Why would I miss home? Miss home? That's for weaklings, simpletons, not newly married wives on the bring of a brand new adventure!" Ask Jordan how I was doing at Week 3...
By then, I found a reason to complain or cry about anything, to avoid thinking of my blessings, to avoid the hurt. It's cold. It's rainy. My heart is still at 'field Zone and walking the halls of Birney. This is definitely NOT the land of eternal spring... helllooo, I signed up for tro-pi-cal! Kelli is going to Detroit, it's the first time ever that I haven't been there, I need to be there, too. How come the year I come down here, it is the rainiest season in all of Guatemala's history, topping at 7 feet so far and not expected to stop anytime soon? I hate doing laundry, because I hate hanging clothes! I loved Christmas before, it really is the best, but now that it means I get to go home, is it December, yet? November?
And then, I heard it. Myself.
The ugly black crawled in - albeit, I let it - and took over my poppy red. (Seems like a good enough color for me.) I let that door slip open a tiny millimeter, I complained it was cold, and Satan slipped right in (he didn't even warm me up, geez, how rude). I need to apologize to my husband, and more importantly, to my Lord.
And now, I can hear it. Him.
Stop. Wait. Look. I've put you here. I have put you here. You see that little girl, the one who's mother passed away? She needs you. You see those students, they are teenagers literally caught between two worlds? They need you. See your husband, waiting patiently for you to come around? He needs you. You see my creation? You serve in it. I can tell, you're a bit mixed up. You have prayer warriors all over and you have Me, that is all you need. Wait and I will renew your strength.
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As I sat down to write this post, I remembered an Oldie that I heard on the radio when I was little, about a "traveling man." So, I opened YouTube and searched and Ricky Nelson popped right up. I thought to myself, "Oh yes! That's it! I'll use the words from this song to describe how I feel." I'm not sure how many of you know and remember the words to Ricky's sweet crooning tune. If you do, you are probably laughing at me right now, because you know that leaving the heart of a different pretty girl from town to town does not quite describe my situation.
Last weekend, we went on a retreat with our tenth graders. The wonderful hosts shared this with us and I make it my prayer for you and I ask that you make it your prayer for me... That Christ may reveal in us the ability to see through His eyes.
Before I sign off, stop by and visit Ricky Nelson on YouTube.
Much love, Rachel
P.S. We are so excited as home is coming to us. Brie is coming down the October 13th for a long weekend and Mom and Dad (Underwood) come down the 22nd! We're waiting on the rest of you, let's go, time to get on that!
P.P.S. For those of you who read our blog to find out about the dog, Risa is fine :)
Yet as every tourist's vacation continues on, they begin to long for home. "Well," they think, "this has been fun, I've seen lots, but I am ready to go back." Vacation cannot last forever. They told me, at about 3-4 weeks in, it would hit you. Homesickness. I whispered to myself, "Nah, I'm LOVING this tourist life! Why would I miss home? Miss home? That's for weaklings, simpletons, not newly married wives on the bring of a brand new adventure!" Ask Jordan how I was doing at Week 3...
By then, I found a reason to complain or cry about anything, to avoid thinking of my blessings, to avoid the hurt. It's cold. It's rainy. My heart is still at 'field Zone and walking the halls of Birney. This is definitely NOT the land of eternal spring... helllooo, I signed up for tro-pi-cal! Kelli is going to Detroit, it's the first time ever that I haven't been there, I need to be there, too. How come the year I come down here, it is the rainiest season in all of Guatemala's history, topping at 7 feet so far and not expected to stop anytime soon? I hate doing laundry, because I hate hanging clothes! I loved Christmas before, it really is the best, but now that it means I get to go home, is it December, yet? November?
And then, I heard it. Myself.
The ugly black crawled in - albeit, I let it - and took over my poppy red. (Seems like a good enough color for me.) I let that door slip open a tiny millimeter, I complained it was cold, and Satan slipped right in (he didn't even warm me up, geez, how rude). I need to apologize to my husband, and more importantly, to my Lord.
And now, I can hear it. Him.
Stop. Wait. Look. I've put you here. I have put you here. You see that little girl, the one who's mother passed away? She needs you. You see those students, they are teenagers literally caught between two worlds? They need you. See your husband, waiting patiently for you to come around? He needs you. You see my creation? You serve in it. I can tell, you're a bit mixed up. You have prayer warriors all over and you have Me, that is all you need. Wait and I will renew your strength.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As I sat down to write this post, I remembered an Oldie that I heard on the radio when I was little, about a "traveling man." So, I opened YouTube and searched and Ricky Nelson popped right up. I thought to myself, "Oh yes! That's it! I'll use the words from this song to describe how I feel." I'm not sure how many of you know and remember the words to Ricky's sweet crooning tune. If you do, you are probably laughing at me right now, because you know that leaving the heart of a different pretty girl from town to town does not quite describe my situation.
Last weekend, we went on a retreat with our tenth graders. The wonderful hosts shared this with us and I make it my prayer for you and I ask that you make it your prayer for me... That Christ may reveal in us the ability to see through His eyes.
Before I sign off, stop by and visit Ricky Nelson on YouTube.
Much love, Rachel
P.S. We are so excited as home is coming to us. Brie is coming down the October 13th for a long weekend and Mom and Dad (Underwood) come down the 22nd! We're waiting on the rest of you, let's go, time to get on that!
P.P.S. For those of you who read our blog to find out about the dog, Risa is fine :)
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