As Linnea and I walked on the beach, after swimming, my eyes salty and my mouth feeling like I just ate a whole bag of Salt and Vinegar chips, old memories flooded my mind.
I was craving the ice tea my mom would put in the blue jug. Cold and sweet. The small wax cups we would drink out of. The cooler with grapes and cookies, sandwiches: sourdough, ham, mustard, lettuce, wrapped in the wax paper. I remember always getting sand on everything. The rocks at Gloucester when we would do the cookouts. Fried clams.
We went back to the beach house and laid in the hammocks, someone put on James Taylor and new memories came. Of hiking the Appalachian trail and listening to the tape my sister Shirley made for me, with a few of his songs. The Walking Man…. I remembered the concert we went to when we had just gotten married. It was my brother in law’s birthday, and Linnea and I met Tim and Rachel and we rode with them. We went to Taco Bell. I remember kind of wanting a beer, but at the same time not wanting to spend the money. One of the songs had a slide show with pictures of people and their dogs, and Pallas had just died and I just started to cry. This made me start to think about Sequoia and the people at home.
I started to think about my family, my dad is in Guyana on a short trip with my buddy Marc. I just read Marc’s blogs, and got fired up. I remembered our trips to Guyana, and wonder how any christian who even slightly believes that his savior is alive and the gospel is true could avoid a cross cultural mission trip. Why are people so scared to see the world through Jesus’ eyes? Why are people scared of an adventure? Why are people scared of having their eyes opened and their hearts broken? Why are people afraid to have something to live for? A meaning to life? I did not start this blog with the intention to go down this road, but I was lead here. I wonder what misconceptions we have, is it demonic? The spirit of fear, a demon of ignorance that prevents us from this life? What held me back before? Fear. Misconceptions. Lack of Faith. Lies.
Hmm. I am trying to get back to what started this, and I can’t even remember. The beauty of the beach, great memories, missing the people back home, wanting for others this peace that we have. Wanting others to experience the adventure of life, the joy of loving, the beauty of it all. Wanting freedom for my friends, happiness for my family, a future. For our kids in the high school group at home, that our church will take the responsibility of teaching them the possibilities of life with God. The true joy that can be theirs. We miss you our youth, your hearts are so good, believe that God made you good and pursue Him.
I get emails from so many people, asking about this adventure, would it be good for them. People close to me, taking steps to live this life, I get goose bumps. I say hold on tight, this is a wild ride, a great adventure, this is life… Choose life, choose to live. Wherever God leads you, I am so excited to hear these things.
Someday you might be laying in a hammock in a country you never even thought about, thinking about childhood, thinking about your friends and wondering what took you so long to take this step.
