I’ve gotten to the point on the race where the thing that I miss most- the thing that I so desperately desire is something simple yet so completely unattainable.
Carpet.
I really, really want to lay on carpet.
I know it’s silly. But it’s been almost ten weeks since I felt carpet beneath my feet. It’s been ten weeks of dirt and concrete, cement, tile, the occasional rug, grass I am not allowed to lay on because of sand flies and many other things.
But no carpet.
I can only imagine when I get to the DC airport for a layover in 2 weeks that I am going to not want to get up from a spot sitting on carpet.
It’s a weird thing really. Knowing that I won’t be able to walk on carpet- that I won’t be able to feel it beneath my feet.
That God has literally pulled the rug out from under me.
I have been writing a lot about being out of my comfort zone- and it’s true.
God has pulled the rug out from under me and replaced it with dirt, rocks, mud, bug-filled grass, tile and other random things for me to walk on.
Nothing I have walked on these ten weeks has been familiar. Nothing at all. Sure I’ve sat in familiar places, I’ve curled up in a Starbucks to drink a latte, I’ve laughed at TV shows downloaded on good WiFi days. I’ve been able to wipe down our dining room/ everything else table with a clorox wipe.
But the territory is unfamiliar.
And it’s been dirty, and ugly, tear-inducing and complicated, sad, happy, joyous.
I’ve been fighting against the grain of comfort for 10 weeks.
And as frustrating as it is sometimes to keep walking in that daily battle against what is comfortable- it’s totally worth it.
If I am being honest this month has been more difficult than I thought it would be. There are 13 of us living under a makeshift roof in the sanctuary of a not-quite all the way built church. We are either living in our tents or just on sleeping pads on the cement. We have to tear down all of our stuff for 3 church services a week. It’s pretty hot, it’s never quite clean. Our kitchen consist of 2 burners, a small table, a fridge that doesn’t work and two buckets that we wash our dishes in with water from the shower.
We learned that our trash gets “taken out” to the creek behind the neighborhood and tossed right in the water.
Amidst all of the other discomfort in my life I have been struggling to keep my head on straight. And the funny thing is? Trujillo where we were last month was just as dirty, if not dirtier. I NEVER felt clean in Trujillo and yet here I have felt the most clean I have been since Ecuador.
I can see how within all of this the enemy is begging me to give into the physical discomfort which in reality with Clorox wipes isn’t that bad.
We are with the most wonderful body of believers at our church, in a wonderful community of families. I get hugged with such love during each church services. We are working alongside Pastor Nestor who is by far one of the most servant hearted people I have ever met. He is a harder worker, funny, and loves Jesus immensely.
Veracity is living with team Favoured and we laugh and joke and pray together.
In all cases it’s been wonderful.
God is truly showing me this month that I am not going to be walking on carpet all year. And I know that I am ok with it.
Every once in awhile it’s just really nice to walk on carpet
