I am in between two worlds and discovering the freedom in surrender.
I officially said goodbye to my mom and my best friend, Alex tonight, and my heart is caught in a tug-of-war of emotions between two worlds–home and the least of these. My heart, longing to be home in Florida with family and friends, conflicting with my yearning to be with my tight-knit world race community on the dirt roads, at the feet of orphans and lepers.
I long so desperately for the things I read to be experiential. For my principles and neatly underlined thoughts to be tangible encounters with the transcendent and messy encounters with the broken. I have been blessed with the gift of restlessness and I am ready to come alive. I am ready to join those who live and die on the margins–in the slums, villages and orphanages.
I am learning the joy of trusting in the faithful One who makes ways in the wilderness and rivers in the deserts and carves doors out of walls. When I don't know what the future holds, I can trust the One who holds it all.
Like my friend Jobin says, "my heart belongs on the broken road and the hurting ground, for a Kingdom coming where the lost are found." And in a couple days, I will be 30,000 ft., on my way there to India.
I want to leave you with this Fraciscan Prayer:
May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.
May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain in to joy.
And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.
Grace & Peace,
Michael
