Cogitations

Who would have thought ironing could take it out of you?!

Yes, I have been ironing ALL morning. 130 seat covers for 130 chairs with 260 sashes to tie into 130 bows. Five ironing boards, ten ladies. NO AIR CONDITIONING. Only some good reggae on a nice system could make that bearable.

Also remembering how horrible it was to use the steamer first! :) That definitely makes it better.

But still--I'm sacked!

I think we're half done.

This castle is going to be magnificent for Saturday's wedding. Black and white with a riot of different colored flowers. I made new curtains that let the light in in a perfectly ethereal manner right behind the couple.


I went to bed last night MISSING my precious nieces and nephews. Yes I cried--because I'm going to be gone for a very long time. The only thing that makes it worth it is a promise; that if I leave parents and sisters and brothers and home behind for His sake and the Gospel's I WILL RECEIVE THEM BACK 100 times--in this life, no less!

I don't understand how that works. But as I gasp for comfort and resist despair over the prospect of loneliness, I recognize the Hand that is grasping mine SO tightly, I see His face "through a glass" beaming at me. "Hey, you know Me. Have I EVER let you down? You don't have to worry about that stuff. Remember how it feels when you Come Home to Me after a hard day's work? I don't get worn out, and I'm not going ANYwhere. I'm not making you do this, but you KNOW if you do you will go deeper with me and experience more joy than you ever thought possible. It's your choice, my dear, but I WILL be with you wherever you are and you can enjoy that. I have promised."

So I go on that. There is nowhere else TO go! I wish that I were spiritual enough to say with Hudson Taylor, "It is no sacrifice!"--but I have to admit to the weakness. Oh well. If one way or another the Living Light can break through to the Dark Ones through me, even by my weakness, I will be thrilled.

You might say, "You don't have to go to the other side of the world to help people." Jesus did. To the "other side" of the universe, the "other side" of eternity. After all, didn't the Lord Himself leave the most perfect and satisfying existence with His Family in order to come down here into a different--highly inferior--culture (though I'm certainly not saying that others are inferior to mine, only that they often feel that way to both sides, because of the unfamiliarity), learn our language and feel our pains--for why? To adopt us! And that's why I leave mine--so they can know the Father of us all. Reconciliation--that's what it's all about. "Change your thinking, and be reconciled to God."

Then I woke up this morning and just bathed in Ephesians 1. Lord knows I needed it! Sometimes I just gotta remind myself why I do what I'm trying to do. Sometimes people don't understand. Or care. But He does, and you know what? That changes--and fixes--everything.

"Thanks, Lord. I love You so much!"

"I love you MORE!"    



WAY WAY WAY more!!!

Bless you!!!