Looking
The war had only been over for about a year when we arrived in Kosovo. Roads riddled with deep holes made driving a slow, jarring process. Houses gutted by mortar shells stood silent, dark, and halfway abandoned. No electric streetlights brightened the night. Cars and trucks drove without headlights to conserve batteries.
Uprooting
Encounters with God don’t leave us standing on the journey road in the same place where we were. Those meetings shift us, move us…uproot us from the comfort and security we know, back out into the horizon, sometimes with nothing in sight. It can be unnerving, with us wondering, “Where am I going? What’s this all for? Is down really the way to go up?”
Loving
Was this what Mary felt when she looked in Jesus’ face? Was this what Joseph felt as he secured all the necessary supplies they needed? Did that night mark the shepherds for life? Did the wise men find all they came seeking? Did the wonder of that night and all it meant, touch them, awaken them to a hunger…a seeking that led them to be found?
Risking
Risk and risking seem like such adventurous words to me. Cliff Jumping, mountain hikes, hanging off a boat…they all bring a visceral sense of risk. They also conjure up images of escape. All those high adrenaline gambles sometimes help me escape from reality. Not all the time, but sometimes. Mostly, to risk is a deeply personal choice to engage in something that requires a lot of strength and faith.
Wonder
She told me to go back and do it again. I had already done the exercise once and was fairly surprised at where I landed. It was a “stuck” place for me that I was sort of aware of, but not really. The idea was to put myself into the story of Mary and Joseph as they arrive in Bethlehem and see where it might lead. Walking along with them, I felt keen anxiety over finding lodging.
Responding
If I told you how many emails are sitting in my inbox right now, it’s entirely possible your opinion of me may shake a bit. Some are news and health articles waiting to be read. Some have been answered but I’m not sure where to file them. A few await a response. I’m trying to get better at responding in a timely way.
