Here's where a few hours, a glass of wine, and a box of tissues got me. Enjoy this 11 minute glimpse into the place that stole my heart, and then come back for the ramblings below.
Friends, our week in Ghana wrecked me.
I have known for years that something in my soul resonates and identifies deeply with the holiness, simplicity, and desperation of poverty. I felt that again this week.
I posted on Facebook that I would give just about anything to spend the rest of my days with my baby on my back and bananas on my head. Truthfully, I meant that.
Those of you who know me know that I love cooking, decorating, accessorizing, and entertaining as much, if not more, than the average American woman. Those are the things that I do on a daily basis. But those aren't the things that make my heart come alive.
The things that awaken my soul, bring clarity to my heart,
and put wonder in my eyes are much, much simpler. Red dirt. White rice. Loud children. Muddy feet. Sweaty hair. Authentic prayers.
In no way do I mean to glorify or over-spiritualize what, for many, is a truly bleak, inescapable, and heartbreaking situation; but I would be lying if I didn't admit how much I crave the rawness and simplicity of it all.
At one point during a seven hour bus ride across Ghana, I turned to Tim with tears in my eyes and said, "When you look into the face of poverty and feel jealousy rather than pity, you know that something in your own life desperately needs to change."
And that is where I am right now. Wondering...
- What would it look like to live with radical simplicity, daily?
- What would it mean to follow the deepest desires that God has placed in my heart, to the ends of the Earth?
- What would happen if I stopped believing that I was telling God something He didn't already know, when I talk to Him about what I need?
We shall see.
As a family, we can sense that God has big plans for
our partnership with this particular orphanage, and we're trying to keep ourselves out of the way. We want our son to grow up knowing where he came from; right now, the degree to which we share - and live - that with him is in our hands.
We're dreaming big, and we'll keep you updated.
Thanks for your love and support.
I have known for years that something in my soul resonates and identifies deeply with the holiness, simplicity, and desperation of poverty. I felt that again this week.
I posted on Facebook that I would give just about anything to spend the rest of my days with my baby on my back and bananas on my head. Truthfully, I meant that.
Those of you who know me know that I love cooking, decorating, accessorizing, and entertaining as much, if not more, than the average American woman. Those are the things that I do on a daily basis. But those aren't the things that make my heart come alive.
The things that awaken my soul, bring clarity to my heart,
and put wonder in my eyes are much, much simpler. Red dirt. White rice. Loud children. Muddy feet. Sweaty hair. Authentic prayers.
In no way do I mean to glorify or over-spiritualize what, for many, is a truly bleak, inescapable, and heartbreaking situation; but I would be lying if I didn't admit how much I crave the rawness and simplicity of it all.
At one point during a seven hour bus ride across Ghana, I turned to Tim with tears in my eyes and said, "When you look into the face of poverty and feel jealousy rather than pity, you know that something in your own life desperately needs to change."
And that is where I am right now. Wondering...
- What would it look like to live with radical simplicity, daily?
- What would it mean to follow the deepest desires that God has placed in my heart, to the ends of the Earth?
- What would happen if I stopped believing that I was telling God something He didn't already know, when I talk to Him about what I need?
We shall see.
As a family, we can sense that God has big plans for
our partnership with this particular orphanage, and we're trying to keep ourselves out of the way. We want our son to grow up knowing where he came from; right now, the degree to which we share - and live - that with him is in our hands.
We're dreaming big, and we'll keep you updated.
Thanks for your love and support.