It is pushing 1am, and the party is really starting. A spanish reggae sound vibrates the building. Linnea is trying to sleep, and I will head on out to check the band once I am done with this. I am trying to continue my thoughts on garlics and onions.
The night I came back from horseback riding, Chad told me we needed to meet. That meeting is the one where my pride took a slap. Chad said they had decided to give me a break from leadership. I did not know how to respond. I knew I needed to respect their decision, but did not fully understand it. Chad made it seem that number one on their minds was my marriage. The strain that 4 other women were putting on me. That easing that strain should help us. I didn’t feel my marriage was going too bad, that we didn’t sign up for a honey moon. I felt that leadership was not effecting our intimacy, that we are getting along as well as ever. This past month we had really concentrated on ‘our’ time together.
Another reason given was for the health of our team, which I took to mean my failure. The reason I really trust for this move is allowing Stephanie to step into her gifting as a leader. Stephanie is a great leader, and I want to see her succeed, because that will make life easy for me. I just had trouble swallowing my own limits, and having a woman in authority over me. I will blog more on my thoughts about this later.
This was all swirling in my head as Andrew spoke, as we worshipped, as we broke bread. I heard people were going out on an ATV tour, and was asked if I was interested. I was, but wanted to spend some time getting myself together (processing). Getting a grip on my emotions, which meant heading to the irish pub for an “Old Speckled Hen”. Jake really put the pressure on me to go with him on the ATVs, which was good, because with the available time, and the emotions in my head, I would probably have had too much of the ‘hen’.
So, I headed to the office with the group, but when I heard about the price of the tour, I said no way. Jake paid for me. It was important to a man like Jake that I get this experience. That I clear my head. That I remind myself that I still have some testosterone. Spend some time with the guys. Jake is my buddy, and my accountability partner, so he was truly looking out for me. Yeah right.
I think Jake was looking for a victim. As we were out on the vehicles, Jake taught us a new game. I have one pair of sneakers and did not want to mess them up. At the first big puddle, I was carefully maneuvering to stay dry, when Jake came blasting through. Perfect timing to totally cover me in freezing cold mud. That @#$%! Fun times. The battle was on. A few hours later we were all totally soaked with mud and water.
This was a great way for me to PROCESS. Andrew said later in a meeting with Linnea and me that he hates when we use this term. Andrew says” what is there to process?” Put it at the foot of the cross and get over it! It seems too easy, doesn’t it? That Jesus said the burden was easy and his yoke is light. Maybe that is what the ATVs were, the easy way to process?
As I drove my four wheeler down dirt paths, with an incredible view of Cusco, a huge rainbow over the city, with buddies planning how to cover me in mud, how could I miss my garlics and onions? As the sun was dropping low in the mountains, as my body was tired from horses and ATVs, as I wondered what I would wear the next day in Machu Picchu, how could I complain? Are you serious? Did you hear that schedule? This is the WORLD RACE! Horses, ATVs, Machu Picchu, spiritual training by Andrew Shearman, typing in a hostel in Buenos Aires to the sounds of amature musicians (who, by the sounds of it, don’t have a contract coming any time soon)….
Men! Check your huevos! Give up your garlic and onions, they come at too high a price! Humiliation, Slavery, Drudgery……
