Stone of Remembrance #1

 

As it approaches, I am left with thoughts of this year and thoughts of what is to come.  It is hard to believe that this life that I have lived for almost a year is almost over.  The life that included smells that I will never be able to identify, food that was less than desirable, sweat and a lot of it, and personal space shared with many, many people and even some roaches and rat.  But also the life that was made up of amazing people, amazing places, amazing experiences, amazing relationships, amazing creation, and amazing friends all over the world.  That is over.  And it is weird to think about.  While I am excited to be moving into a new season of life, I am sad to see this one go.  But perhaps more than ever, I will hold onto the truth that Joseph from Kenya taught us, God doesn’t promote you to demote you.  So, greater glories are ahead. 

 

11 days to go,  11 countries to remember.  Month 1 – Ireland.  Oh, Ireland.  The beginning of it all.  I can remember laying in my tent each night listening to the rain smash against the nylon and wondering why on earth I signed up for this.  I can remember waking up each morning with the same scenario and the same thought.  I can remember wondering who these people were that I was about to spend a year of my life with and trying to figure out where and how I fit in with them. 

 

Our ministry that month was cleaning the streets of Galway.  We used soap, water, and paint thinner to remove some graffiti.  It seemed like a ridiculous job.  More than once people thought that we were convicts on a work release program.  And more times than not, the graffiti stayed just as it was when we started scrubbing.  But I think it was a great way to start because as I was scrubbing the filth off of the streets, God was doing the same to my soul.  The beginning of the process of change.  And looking back, I can see where He started chipping away at the filth that I walked into this year with, nicely packaged into something I thought was beautiful.   Perhaps graffiti artists feel the same about the words they display, that it is beautiful when it actually jades the beauty of the structure it is on. 

 

It was a short month in Ireland but I remember being surprised each time we walked up to our tents to find mine still in tact.  And by the end, I started to realize that despite a few hurricane force winds, that God was going to protect me and take care of me.  His daughter was inside that tent. 

 

He showed off for me with His creation.  Ireland is beautiful and we were on the coast.  I still remember walking away from the cliff behind our campground sad to say goodbye to all the beauty.  But I remember almost audibly, His voice tell me there is more.  And there was, every step of the way.  And even now as I step into the unknown, I hear that same thing.  There is more, Jodi.  Of me.  Of life.  Of blessings.  Of abundance.  More.