You know, time goes by and life goes on and sometimes I have to really fight to not throw out the past year just because the people around me have little to no clue what I experienced.
And for a while, that stopped me from talking about it.
But when it boils down to it…
I want to talk about it.
I want more people to know.
I want these people’s stories and their lives to be honored and known.
I want to brag on what God did in the lives of my teammates and squadmates.
I need to talk about it.
I miss it so much and although it is over on paper, it is not over in my heart.
God is still using this journey to transform my heart and my mind and my affections towards him and other people
During this season where I am back with my great family and great friends and awesome church, my heart still longs for the things and the people who created a home in my heart.
I want to worship like we did as one big squad family.
I want Jeepneys and tuk tuks, I want chanom and the popcorn lady.
I want homework from Pastor Raul and Debrief at the end of next month.
I want to see Jay and Denise and Carly and Grayson and Erin.
I want hugs from everyone.
I want a travel day and a new stamp in my passport.
I want to stare into the African sky and see the glory of God.
I want drum circle with Em Lundy and heart to hearts with Jenny.
I want to play rummy with Celena and Kalah and be yelled at for taking too long.
I want to read Divergent in the back of a pick-up on the way to volleyball practice with Pang.
I want to eat with the Grace family in Vietnam and play Bananagrams.
I want to watch Duck Dynasty with the Chainless women.
I want to hug Skylar as we stay together through yet another team change.
I want Thanksgiving on the mountainside and a crazy Thai Christmas party.
I want to swim laps with Slama in the pool at Lightforce in Albania.
I want to lead one more rehearsal for those sweet Cambodian children.
I want to beat rice stalks and drink out of coconuts while teasing our translator, Odom, about being a yuppie city boy 🙂
I want to eat Roti Cana and Roti Kaya one more time.
At the end of the day, I know that I was blessed, I am blessed and I will continue to be blessed and my adventures of getting Thai iced tea with teammates is replaced with taking multiple samples of tea from Teavana. And worship is no longer unplugged and intimate, but in a large assembly of believers with a blasting sound system, there is so much good here and my job is to celebrate the past and embrace the present.
I’m not sure exactly how to get there, but I know it starts with acknowledging and remembering and I am going to take some more time to do that.
How about you?
Will you take time to remember what God has done in your life and the places that He has brought you to in order to fully embrace what He has currently given you in this season of life?
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