I haven’t blogged in a really long time. I think I have been waiting for the most perfect, most inspiring thing to happen that I would just know I had to blog about. I pictured it being flawlessly written, and something that would just blow the minds of anyone who read it. Although many past racers told me this before I left, over the past two months, I have really come to realize for myself that the world race still just feels like real life. Yeah, we live in Guatemala and have structured ministry a few hours a day, but we still have a lot of down time, and even ministry itself starts to feel normal and routine. It isn’t always glamorous, and there aren’t always crazily inspiring things happening left and right. But just like anything else, it is what you make it. And I have come to realize that the most inspiring things don’t always jump out at you, sometimes they are in the smallest of things. You just have to train your eyes and your heart to see them!
Beauty is everywhere… especially in the ordinary.
A few days ago, during an afternoon that my team didn’t have any ministry, we decided to create our own ministry. So we went to town to buy some flowers, and delivered them to our sweet, tiny, ninety- two year old widow friend, Gregoria. We knocked on her peeling, turquoise-painted door, yellow flowers in hand. Within seconds, the door cracked, and when she saw us standing there, the most beautiful, toothless smile instantly lit up her whole face! We handed her the flowers, and followed her inside where we sang for her and prayed over her. We couldn’t even speak with Gregoria; our Spanish is getting pretty good, but she doesn’t even speak Spanish… she only speaks the Mayan’s native language of Kaqchiquel! But love doesn’t have a language barrier. Something as simple as taking an hour out of our day to take flowers to a widow showed her that she is loved, she is valued, and she is isn’t forgotten.
Visiting a lonely widow: ordinary.
… being interested in and playing with children who don’t get paid attention to. Saying hi to people you pass on the street. Striking up a conversation with the cashier at the supermarket. Cleaning the bathroom when it’s not your job. Helping out in the kitchen. Simply loving others even when you don’t feel like it. Ordinary.
Life isn’t filled with crazy, huge, in-your-face moments of evident beauty or inspiration all the time. Not even doing something like the world race! But what life is filled with, is ordinary moments. Ordinary opportunities. You don’t have to travel the world to make a difference. No matter where you are or what you are doing you have the choice to make the best of where you are. God is in the big things, but I have come to realize that He loves touching our hearts in the sweet, small things. I have learned to keep my eyes open to the ways that He works and the ways that He invites me to come alongside Him in the seemingly little things.
Thank you all for your prayers and support! I will do my best to do a better job keeping you updated, but everything here in Guatemala is wonderful. God is so good.
-Megan
