We are well into our third month of the race and it’s really starting to sink in. It’s starting to hit me. I’m really on this 11-month journey, away from my family and friends and EVERYTHING that is comfortable in my life to spread the love of Jesus Christ to all the Nations. Despite how excited I was to leave everything behind for the unknown- I knew that there would be rough patches along the way. I knew that I would get homesick. But I never would have been able to imagine this feeling- this intense craving to simply hug my mom.
Yesterday our team traveled to Antigua to enjoy our off day! It’s about forty minutes from the little village we’re living in this month. The city was absolutely gorgeous. We enjoyed a delicious lunch on the top of a mountain- with an amazing view. After strolling the streets around the square, I was able to briefly get in touch with my mom. I told her that I missed her so much and that all I wanted to do was give her a HUGE hug. She told me to go hug a teammate, close my eyes and think of her. She would do the same and hug Matthew, (my little 14 yr old brother) and it would be like we were hugging each other. I know…super cute 😉
After our conversation- I made the choice to stop dwelling on the things that I couldn’t change. I made the choice to put aside my fleshly desires and remind myself that I’m right where I need to be. I made the choice to stop thinking about the time left on this race and embrace the moment. I made the choice to run over to Julia (one of my teammates) and give her a huge hug.
This morning- we jumped back into our normal ministry routine. We woke up early and went back to the local school to help out with lunch and play with the kids. However, there was something different about today. Instead of running around and playing games like last week- it seemed like the only thing the little girls wanted to do was hug on me. One of the girls- Marissa- really stood out. She wouldn’t leave my side. She was either sitting in my lap… or wanting me to carry her everywhere. Anytime I would try and let her go…. She would say “Uno Mas Abrazo” with the biggest smile on her face. So naturally, I would let her hug me again. And she would hug me tighter than any other little girl has hugged me on the race so far.
When it was finally time to say goodbye- I felt myself getting a bit emotional. It was shortly after when I finally realized that God really does pay attention to the small details in my life. Yesterday- I was craving a simple hug from my mom. And today- I received more genuine hugs than I could have ever counted!!
Personally, a huge part of this race has been learning how to become more intimate with the Lord and trusting that He will provide. What better way to do this than to start recognizing the times when He pays attention to the small details in my life, like needing a simple hug?
