As it is now, I've got about nine more months before my time here comes to an end (for now, that is.) Some days feel like I'm at the starting line of a marathon, while others feel like I'm on the home stretch, and I'm urged to finish strong. I fear that there have been times that Apathy has crawled into my bed and cuddled, and I've allowed this. But God forbid the day that I look back on my time here and wish I had just given more...
I think more than anything else, God's really been teaching me of the unmeasurable understanding that He has for what we experience, because He pretty much has experienced and surpassed it Himself in every possible way. So here I sit whining about no electricity or being cold or being lonely...or missing last night's American Idol....and He's pretty smackin' it to me--"Child, I've been there. No comparison. I hung on a cross for you. I went through years of lonely ministry--years of being misunderstood, of being unloved by many, and carrying the world's burdens on my shoulders--for YOU." For us, so that we may have hope in our time of need. For that darkest hour, He's already provided.
So its pretty much one thing to sit and rant about these things on a blog, and its another thing to live it out during the good seasons and bad. I'm really trying to let this anchor me this year. To go the extra mile for Him who went the marathon for me.
On quite another note, I recently was blessed enough to visit the nearby country of nepal, where I conquered one of my greatest fears and bungee jumped off a steel suspension bridge over the Bhote Kosi river ( www.tlrnepal.com ). It was a 525 foot free fall--head first--which even the best imaginations will fail to comprehend. I had many valid fears, shallow among the deep....would my shirt fly up? Would i wet my britches? Oh yeah, and would I live to welcome the New Year? So I pretty much made a promise to myself that if I did make the jump, I would reserve the right to talk about it for the rest of my life...to old friends, to strangers in the grocery line...you name it. So here I am already fulfilling that promise--bear with me.
I also had the chance to fly over Everest (no, I didn't climb...but I touched it with my heart), and take an elephant safari through Chitwan National Park, and survived an adventure with a rinosaurous during a hike with friends! Good thing I'm a farm girl, I've got some tricks up my sleeves (note to others: always run zig zag when being chased my animals with peripheral vision).
love to you all. gosh, i miss you!
