Every morning since our arrival in Hmarkhawlien, I’ve woken up to subtle vibrations through the floor. Sometimes these are hardly noticeable. Other times they’re hard to ignore. I thought originally that these tremors were my own doing. That my muscles were just aching or a friend was jostling me awake. Once I realized that this was the house itself shaking… well, needless to say I was not thrilled. We live on the second floor of a three story school building. It’s a concrete house! Those are supposed to be fairly sturdy, right? What could possibly be shaking this massive structure?
Back in Parbung I had another scary architectural experience. Our hut was built into the hillside. You could look through the floorboards and just see far off vegetation. When a monsoon would hit us in the middle of the night, it took everything within me not to run and hide in a sturdier looking building. I prayed continuously through those nights, too scared to sleep. My fear was what kept me awake. Not the sheets of rain on our tin roof. Just the fear that this house would not stand. Once we left that house, I was grateful to be living in something hardier. Yet I’m living in a huge concrete building that shakes more than that wooden hut ever did!
Here’s what the Lord is teaching me through this; mankind has never been in charge of which buildings will stand and which will fall. I’ve lived within cultures soaked in ancient history, seen thousand year old temples and witnessed remnants of fallen empires. Each building had it’s season and eventually that season would end. As my World Race draws to a close, I’m reminded of that reality. This home I’ve constructed out of international mission work, communal living and minimalism is just like any other building. It will remain sturdy and strong until the Lord decides it’s time to restructure. The portions of my life that aren’t coming into focus yet feel like walls I’ve walked circles around for months. Obstacles that just won’t crumble. What I’ve seen in these very real buildings has reminded just how out of my hands this whole life of mine is. One chapter draws nearer to a close while another remains to be seen. Am I hesitant to step into this new world? I have been. Will the Lord tear down the old to build something that will glorify him? Absolutely! So here’s to my last month on the World Race. Pray that this is my best one yet!
