This post has been on my heart for a while, but to be
honest, it's something I don't wanted to really write about. Why? Because it seems that when you write about something,
you get to experience it in at a “new” level.
But, since it wouldn't leave my head, I guess it’s time to put it on
paper.
It was the night
before Mother’s Day. Conrad had told me
to sleep in and he would make a special breakfast in bed. The idea sounded wonderful. Some time to just rest, sounded amazing. But at 6:00 am the morning of Mother’s Day,
the electric went out. I’ve lived in
Mozambique long enough to know what that means.
It’s one of the “electric maintenance day”. This means that the electric will be out all
day and if things go well we will have it back by dark. My heart sank. Our house without electric gets very warm,
very fast. Gone was the morning of
sleeping in, gone was the breakfast in bed (we don’t want to open up freezers
or fridges because we don’t really know how long it will be off and we don’t
want to lose food), gone was my plan.
My heart cried out, “Not
today. I don’t want to be flexible
today.” But, I had no choice. As I
reflect over almost 13 years of marriage, I’m starting to see a pattern. It’s a pattern of being flexible. I realized the other day, that the current
house we are living in, is the longest house we have ever lived in since being
married. We moved to this house 2 years
and 4 months ago. When we started this
path on missions, I never dreamed how flexible one would need to be. I can't count the number of times I have wished to be able to "settle" and put roots down. But that isn't the life of a missionary. There are days, when I feel like a rubber
band about ready to break that can’t be any more flexible. On those days, I’m learning to run to my Heavenly Father and find comfort in His arms.
But I’m also learning how to embrace the new plan that presents itself
and enjoy the moment.
So it was time for
a new plan. This plan included a trip
out of town to a little reservoir. It’s
a place that I always enjoy once we arrive after spending an hour on a very bumpy
road. It’s beautiful and refreshing. It
has flowers, birds, swings, and we always have fun there. So off we went. We enjoyed lunch and then we spread out our
blanket under the shade of a palm tree.
I enjoyed the view and crochet as Conrad read “Treasures of the Snow”
out loud.
So it wasn’t the original
plan, but it was a good day. A day to
remember. It serves as a reminder that
whatever comes my way and when flexibility is involved, that God is still in
charge. As I learn to embrace the change
and living in the moment, God brings along His love and care in unexpected
ways. I still can’t say that I just LOVE being
flexible all the time, but I’m thankful for a God who gives the strength to
continue on. A God who gives the
emotional strength to live in the moment and enjoy the ride.
