I decided to keep blogging even though I am no longer in Africa in an attempt to continue to keep those of you at home updated as I come and go and try my best to follow Christ as he leads me.
I am currently back up at Lake Shasta (summer number 3!) serving with Sonshine Specialized Camping Ministries…. as the Barnabas Coordinator. My job involves pouring into “Team Barnabas” as they are responsible for cooking and cleaning and ministering to campers on the houseboats. I spend time sharing the word with them and encouraging and loving on them as they love on campers all week. I love my job!
Regarding future plans… I was recently offered an internship with Mercer Island Presbyterian Church in Seattle, WA. And after a lot of prayer and seeking of wisdom from those whose around me I decided that this is an awesome door that has been opened up for me and ya… Seattle here I come. My internship is with the Jr. High program at this church and so I will be spending the next nine months after my summer here again just spending time and loving on that group of jr. highers and everything that it entails. The internship starts in early September meaning it will be just another short visit home before heading back north.
I have been having quite a time with this adjusting to being back in the states… not as much with ‘culture shock’ as it has been with sorting out what this whole ‘growing up’ thing looks like. Honestly I would rather be finding my way to neverland where I would never have to ‘grow up’ but in the meantime it seems to be happening whether I like it or not… ha. I have spent a lot of time dreaming about what it would be like to go to africa or move to a far away city amongst many other thing and I have gone after it and its happening. The reality of it all starts to hit when I start thinking about what it really means to do these things. Its kinda scary. I want to be brave and I want to follow God and go after these things he has put on my heart and I will… but its hard thinking about what that means I am not apart of back at home while I am away. I miss my family. I miss my friends. I want to be directly involved in their lives but God keeps calling me elsewhere… Me and God have been having a lot of talks about this lately. I am wondering if he is preparing me for a life of this or if its just one more season. I think that I am now more ‘homesick’ than I ever was far away in Africa.
Before I left to come up to the lake I spent one of my few afternoons at home alone at this one park that I just love. While there I was thinking about ‘Be’. I have missed saying ‘be’ since I have been home. In Africa I could just gesture with my hand and say ‘be’ and children and adults alike would come. The sun was warm and I was really enjoying sitting in the grass, just spending time reading and praying and eventually found myself with my back on the ground and eyes closed thinking about how the warmth of the sun felt almost like getting a kiss from heaven. The slight breeze was cooling my right cheek as it crossed over me but my left cheek remained sun kissed. I was thinking about ‘be’ and how in Africa it means come but here to just be is the opposite. Swahili vs. English- sounds the same but is so different. I was thinking about how beautiful it felt to just lay in the grass and be and as i did that i was coming near to the Lord.
I want to just Be.
I want to Be in the Lord.
Be myself and come before him.
Be.
Be with my father who already knows me.
Be.
Be beautiful and broken.
Be sunkissed as I lay in the grass surrounded by the presence of my father.
I have to keep coming back and reminding myself of moments like this as I think of what this summer holds and as I look ahead to another season of change and uncertainty. I have to keep my eyes fixed on the father and trust that as he leads me I will be with him where ever that means I go. Be.
In the art of “be” , it is ageless. This very day’s prayer for Jay and I is “Where shall we “be”? Is it Big Bear Lake, is it Uganda…could it be Seattle with our granddaughter in her preparation years before Jr. High and adolescence? We also ask ..”What is this season…what is our life….where are we to live out our life in Christ? Daily we ask and daily the Lord gives us only our daily steps towards His will TODAY. I believe that’s all we need…..He in us…TODAY.
I love you Cherise. I love the journey you and Jesus are traveling in together.
You’re amazing. I learn so much from you. Thanks for letting me be a part of your life. I love you.
Cherise, it is so good to “hear” from you. My friend in Colorado was the first one (years ago) to remind me that God wanted human beings not human doings. Some, like myself, just need to be reminded occasionally. It’s good to hear how you “be”. Love, Sheridan