i’ve been unusually quiet in the blog world for the last month and i think it’s because so much has been happening so quickly that i’ve never been sure where to start or what to share.
so, i’m going to sort of interview myself on the last month of life and try to catch you up.
1. where have you been?
drăgăneÅŸti-olt, romania. it’s pronounced dragonesht, but we so endearingly refer to it as dragon-nasty. it’s a darling little eastern european town in the south of the country, about 2 hours west of bucharest.
2. what were you doing there?
we were sent there along with 2 other teams to join in the work that hope church is doing in southern romania. we got to be involved in numerous things including working with children, gypsies and teenagers, helping with the micro-enterprise development project they’re creating, teaching classes, helping with office work, doing construction…and the list goes on. hope church is so involved in the communities in southern romania, it’s incredible.
3. what did you learn?
romania definitely has the highest number of cute old ladies per capita. don’t question me on this. it’s a fact.
4. no really, what did you learn?
aside from learning a ridiculous amount from our very wise host raul, God was speaking so much to me this month. i was just telling someone that until recently i was mostly working through a lot of crap i didn't know i had. like when you want to remodel your house starting with the basement, but to do that, you have to clean all the crud out of the basement first. and you think "oh my goodness! i had no idea that a lazy slob lived here! …and it's me? dang it." but some friends show up to help you clean your basement and you think "no! they can't see this! something bad will happen if they do!" but then you realize that they're your friends. and they have a messy basement too. and you can help each other.
and now it's month 4 and we're finally getting into the good stuff. the really sweet, deeply moving things that only come with freedom. so much freedom! and peace. and letting go. and letting God be God. and learning to love people more deeply. and just…becoming who i actually am.
i just read this incredible book called cold tangerines, which you all should read. and it’s been speaking so much to my heart about what it means to walk through life and hard things and just…be. and celebrate. and love. and cherish.
“[…] Today, humble Today, presents itself to us with all the ceremony and bling of a glittering diamond ring: Wear me, its says. Wear me out. Love me, dive into me, discover me, it pleads with us.”
so here i am, diving into Today. wearing it out, like my favorite shoes. treasuring every moment, even the ones that have seemed the most painful, the hardest. looking for the beauty that those things bring. because if i’ve learned anything, it’s that the kind of faith i live in and the kind of peace i seek, doesn’t just show up on it’s own. it’s sought after and fought for. it comes with courage and celebration in the face of adversity. it’s the choice to jump in head first and embrace with open arms the things that scare you. it’s a leap of faith.
