I am not sure how to connect back into your world after being away for so long. Busyness is my excuse. I did write several blogs over the past several months that never got sent because I never had the time to get back into them for the finish work. Anyway, I am just going to jump right into the present- maybe someday I will get back to the past.
You know that pendulum- the one that swings between the balance of work and rest. It seems that mine has been stuck a lot closer to work than to rest; so much so, that when I have had the chance to rest, it often does not come. Things like even my rest becomes work, so I can cross something off the list. I know that there are seasons, but too much of either season is too much.
Here in Nicaragua, we do basically have two seasons; wet and dry. By the end of the wet season, I am happy to trade my perpetually damp clothes and sheets and muddy floors for the dry warmth. And in the end of the dry season, I am ready to trade the dust that covers everything and heat pouring down my face for “winter” in the 80s and a rain shower most days.
We are just now in that transition from dry into rainy, and I feel like my soul is mirroring that transition- dry into a season of growth. Both seasons have a good part and a challenging part, and both parts are a part of life.
The past 5 months have been filled with a lot of teams, family visits, new people on our team, job changes for both Stephen and I, the intensely oppressive heat of the spring time, distance from people at home, and the hope of an upcoming trip to the US for my cousins wedding. There has been a building tension in me for some emotional rest.
When Stephen got home yesterday from the seminary where he teaches, he knew that I needed to get out of town. I like Masatepe, but not leaving it for several weeks, the feeling of being hot 24/7, and my push to try to catch up with work, was taking me to a breaking point.
He asked me what I wanted to do, and before I knew it I was looking to see what movies were playing-this is truly the best feeling of escape that I have experienced in this country. La Cabana- translation “The Shack” was at 4:20 pm. At the time it was 3:33, and we both knew that we had at least a 45 minute drive in good traffic. It felt good to break from the responsible and measured and run off to Managua on the spur of the moment.
We made it there by 4:26, justifying that we would be fine since we live in a culture not concerned with time. Movie, popcorn and drink for dinner, and the cool of air conditioning and comfortable seats were exactly the frivolousness I needed.
It seems that many people have their opinions about this movie/book, but at this time, the movie told me what I needed to hear- God is “especially fond of me” whether I am close or distance, asking hard or easy questions, or going through hard or easy stuff. And the comfort of seeing Multnomah Falls and the Gorge made both of us yell out in the theater and feel closer connected with what we miss!
When we left the theater after the movie we were enveloped in a big thunder and lightning storm that had overtaken the mall. The powerful rush of wind, soaking rain, and warm puddles of water to walk through were refreshing to my mind and spirit.
God knew what I needed- He always does!