Loving without words

This month in panama has been one of flexibility, growth, and yearning for something deeper. That yearn is to go deeper in love with our Father. Every morning I crave that time to spend listening and learning of how beautiful his love is for me.

I have had to stretch myself in learning and understanding Spanish. I thought it would be impossible to communicate and would often find myself silent when around the ngobe tribe and locals. One day as I was spinning and spinning and spinning a child who had a smile of pure joy and laughter I was reminded of how much love can mean even when communicating without words. The ngobe tribe isn’t very affectionate, yet embracing children with hugs, twirling them around, making cookies, or kicking a soccer ball around for hours is one of the best ways to share that love and joy.

A couple weekends ago, two other teammates and I had an opportunity to go with our host to a city 4 hours away to meet a possible contact for the world race and to be apart of the service that Danny was preaching at. He asked us to do the special which was to sing in front of the church. The Lord must have a sense of humor because I don’t have any singing ability, especially in front of 6 churches gathered and each of us holding a microphone. We did it and after we heard it was broadcast over all of panama. My worst fear was transformed into a sense of joy and freedom in knowing that even though my voice may not sound well, the greater message was presented to an entire country.

Panama was a month filled with joy. I may never be able to speak the language well or sing well but I can BE the love that is meant to be communicated.

“The secret of being in love, of falling in love with life as it was meant to be, is to befriend our yearning instead of avoiding it, to live into our longing rather than trying to resolve it, to enter a spaciousness of our emptiness rather than try to fill it up” (the awakened heart by Gerald May)