Simple Things

Life is complicated more often than it is simple. We have levels of responsibility, layers of relationships, problems to handle, and dreams to fulfill. There are day-to-day things that must be addressed and future plans to develop. Sometimes the weight of it all can be overwhelming and the right path difficult to see clearly. 

When those complications start to seem too big, I've discovered that I need to refocus on what is simple to gain perspective. A family meal with laughter, multiple stories, and talking over each other is a guaranteed remedy. A conversation with my wife, sitting with my dog, or a good cup of coffee helps me take refuge in the simplistic things that bring peace in the chaos. We've all got to find those moments, wherever they might be, to help bring necessary balance to our lives. 

Good and Tired

I am very tired this week and I know our mission team from last week shares in that feeling. It's always an adjustment to return to life at home after a week of life on a mission trip. The time zone difference (three hours from Arizona to Georgia) is always difficult to overcome on top of the exhaustion from the trip itself. The impact of the mission field is still heavy on all of our minds and hearts as we unpack our experiences as well. It's a good sense of tired from what we have accomplished and also a spiritual weariness from having exerted so much energy in striving to have a positive impact. There is a certain speed to things on mission trips that keeps you moving beyond the point of exhaustion and fuels you for more than you think you are capable of.

Coming home brings all of this to a halt and you suddenly realize exactly how tired you are. Nerves that were constantly on alert have depleted energy stores and leave you feeling like butter spread over too much bread.* You yearn for the togetherness of the team and the focused energy of your mission and yet relish the comforts of home and the chance to let down your guard. Being home requires a recalibration of body and soul as we return to a more familiar pace of life. The immediate goal is rest and recovery and then to make sure the lessons from the trip are firmly implanted as we move forward.

Getting Ready

When I started running in mid-January it was with the intention of running my first official 5K race in April. I knew I was training for that and had steps laid out along the way. When I finished the race I knew I wasn't going to stop running, but also wanted to have something else to train for. My wife & I decided to sign up for a much longer run in the fall and I will spend the next several months getting ready for it. Knowing what my objective is will help me shape my preparation to be as successful as possible.

I think it helps all of us to know what we are preparing for. We may not have every specific detail of what our future looks like, but we can move forward with a general idea that helps shape us. I have a vision of where God is leading my family and that helps to focus my preparation in the the right areas. I still need to be flexible as that intended vision shifts time lines and details, but the overall concept helps to steer me in the right direction. It's easier to hit your target if you know what you're aiming at.

Split In Two

I have just returned from my 12th year of leading mission trips to the Apache reservation in Arizona (18 total trips over those years) and still miss it. There is always a difficulty in readjusting to the regular pace of life. My heart is always so full after a week of unique experiences, bonding with teammates, seeing victories up close, and feeling heartache over cultural circumstances. It's not something that can be set behind you quickly or relegated to memory without some time to consider the full impact of the trip. Arizona and the wonderful people there are a part of my family and I always greatly anticipate the next time I get to return.

My passion for Arizona does not soften my passion for Milledgeville however. God gently reminds me of the call to be part of sharing the Gospel here in our community as well. In fact, many times in Arizona our team would recognize the parallels between what we saw out west and our own town back east. We were all in agreement that our mission with our Apache friends & missionaries was powerful, but that our greatest call was to infect our home with the same passionate enthusiasm. There is a sense of urgency to reach people as we recognize that our mission field is all around us.

I am firmly rooted here and excited about the challenges God has in front of us to reach our community. I don't think that it's a bad thing that part of my heart is also in small neighborhoods, after school programs, missions, and a beautifully dark reservation either. It helps keep me focused spiritually and physically.

Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to be in two places at once.

Big Things, Small Package

Small objects may not seem like much to some people, but that is usually because they don't understand what they represent. The necklace pictured above probably is only slightly interesting or relevant to an outside observer. To the one that it has been given, however, it represents so much more. 

I received this last week on the reservation from a young lady we spent a couple of days with. She quietly gave it to me as a token of her appreciation for a few days with our team. It was handcrafted and symbolizes the hope she is seeking and the brief light we were able to shine in her life as she struggles with so much darkness. It reflects the happiness we shared with her during our visit--a happiness she said she hadn't felt in several months. It is a gift shyly and generously given out of the overflow of a heart that felt loved and valued by every one of our team. 

This is a present that I will not soon forget. Even though it is small, it is packed with more meaning than can accurately be described.

Returning Home

We casually pass through most weeks of our life and often don't meditate deeply on what happened. We have our routines and normal activities and continue to move along as the calendar flows from one month to the next. Every now and then we will experience something that makes a week stand out from the rest. These are the weeks that stick out in our memory and cause us to reflect on them more deeply after they have passed.

I have been fortunate to share that unique week for the last seven days with 16 special people. We have worked, played, laughed, and sung songs for hours together while serving in Arizona on the mission field. We lived quite peacefully in a bunkhouse and worked to encourage each other while maintaining flexibility. We come from different church backgrounds and life experiences and were forged together under the common goal of serving on the Apache reservation. The friendships forged here may taper in intensity as time passes, but they will always represent a week that bears remembering and carries more meaning as we reflect on it's power.

Beautiful Things

Arizona is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. The reservation is surrounded by God-carved canyons, sweeping plains, and thick groups of trees. I never get tired of the view and love to share it with new team members each year as we travel out. It's an almost overwhelming beauty with the brightness of the skies and the lushness of the landscape.

The rich wonder of the land is painfully paired with the depth of despair in so many of the people. It's almost impossible to reconcile the idea of God-crafted nature and human brokenness. Together they create a discordant symphony of desperate need. While being painful to observe, I can at least gain some comfort from God's promises to create wonderful things out of our dysfunction. The gorgeous world we can see is a reflection of God's power to bring restoration when it seems too far gone.