10.09.12
We live in the Shire.
Granted, I can be one of “those” people- extreme Tolkien
fanatics who have the annoying tendency of relating everything to Lord of the
Rings. But honestly…houses with thatched
roofs sit behind tall green hedges, narrow aged roads and footpaths wind
through green rolling hills, everyone knows everyone, and places have names
like “Buckland” and “Rivendell Cottage”.
(I’m not kidding; it’s a charming little bungalow that looks like it was
cut out of a Thomas Kincade postcard.)
I love it. I love
that a ten minute walk can get me either to High Street, the local grocer, or
the boundary of The Hills, from which I can disappear into remote, stunningly
beautiful countryside for hours on end. (This background is a view from the edge of it.) I love the marketplace feel of a place not yet bullied into supermarkets
and shopping plazas. I love that our
house is surrounded by an eight-foot hedge and an iron gate. I love that carrots and cucumbers are full of
local flavor. I love that “calling” on a
neighbor results in an hour-long chat over a cup of tea- tea being symbolic of
the sharing of hospitality, life, and community.
It’s so natural this time.
There’s usually a few days of adjustment during which I’m incredibly
aware of the million subtle, unspoken differences between the sister
cultures. But none of that this time;
it’s like coming back to your childhood home- a sense of comfort and nostalgia,
like curling up in your favorite armchair.
It feels wrong somehow.
Surely I should feel the “trial” of missions already- a sense of loss
and sacrifice and the intimidating challenge ahead. And I know it will come- there’s enough that
God is speaking and enough paths that I’ve crossed to make me aware that there
are challenges enough ahead- I don’t yet have my head around everything that’s
coming yet. I’m eager to “get dirty”
with the work of it and don’t prefer to sit too long.
But I can’t force the pace now- there’s still the slow,
patient work of waiting on the Holy Spirit here. And in the meantime, I know that I can choose:
one option being anxiety and frustration that at nearly one week in the
country, there’s not yet a clear format and paved road ahead. Or I can choose the alternative: to accept
with gratitude the odd discomfort of finding something easy and enjoyable. So many prophetic words came about finding
ease and lavish blessing here; it’s strange to feel the challenge of accepting
them!
Today it poured, forcing me mostly indoors and producing the
first twitches of impatience. But I’ve
come back to thankfulness, and I am intensely thankful. Yes, I’m eager to go to work, and I am
praying intently, asking God for insight, strategy, and opportunities. In the meantime, I’m going to go thoroughly
enjoy a cup of tea (is that the fourth or fifth cup today?) and an apple bought
from a local farmer.
No comments:
Post a Comment