In my pocket I have a small pink change purse with two slips of paper, assorted change, and a few bills. The two slips of paper are vital, I often hand both to cab drivers, one has my home address, and the other has the address of the nearest Starbucks. My coin purse is one of the little pieces of freedom I have, it means that I can get a taxi, and get away, as long as at least one other World Racer is with me.
I have a box by my bed, my favorite things, most of which my mom sent to me in a recent package. In the mess of the 10 x 10 room four of us and our man size backpacks share, I make sure that the box stays organized. It’s a little treasure box, one I take great joy in. A few bags of Reese’s Pieces, coffee flavored candy, French Vanilla flavored international café coffee creamer, crystal light packages, a good book in English, a rose in a water bottle and a foot scrubber.
On this trip the little things have become huge, everyday things that at one point I took for granted I now realize are gifts from God. The other morning as I was shuffling through ankle deep dirt to a prayer meeting before breakfast, I hit my breaking point. I was done, done with dirt, done with not seeing anything green for miles, done with having no control of my time, and done with never being alone.
(Near my house, as you can see dirt everywhere!)
Then something beautiful happened. I took a sip of my French press coffee with flavored creamer, smuggled in from Guatemala, and my thoughts cleared. I realized it would be ok. If I just focused on the coffee, not the dirt, not the loss of freedom, not the lack of things, everything would be ok.
People have asked how I’ve changed in the last three months. I haven’t had many huge epiphanies about world peace or stopping starvation, but now I do see little things as a gift from God. As Easter nears I’ve recognized that the best way I can thank Jesus for dying for me is to truly enjoy gifts he has given me. A flower put on my bed by a teammate, a good conversation, getting to hold a baby during a children’s service, a song that makes me happy, and a sip of really strong coffee with flavored creamer.
