Our life is a life of highs and lows.
Some days we feel so discouraged by the injustices around us; the cycles that continue to destroy lives; the sense of hopelessness that plagues an entire community.
And then there are days we feel so happy we don’t know what to do with ourselves. Moments so motivating, so encouraging that make all the mess and stress worth it. Moments that rock our world.
Some of the highlights of the past week:
1. Meeting Brenda. A woman who, by all intents and purposes, should be enjoying the comfort and ease of retirement but instead spends her days driving around a small fishing village south of Mazatlan, handing out thousands of packages of milk, dried fruit, diapers and blankets to over five hundred indigenous children. Laboring and struggling to start a daycare center for the masses of kids that have no one to care for them, not even a school to attend to, while their parents work in the fields.
How neat is that? It is SO encouraging to hear someone with such passion and dedication. We cannot wait to see what God does through this warrior of a woman.
2. Our kids mommas. Beginning to – dare we say it – bond at our last parent meeting. Slowly shedding the masks they wear to hide their fears and insecurities and giving us just the smallest glimpse of what could become as God’s love and grace takes hold in their lives.
3. Witnessing the miracle of repentance. In last week’s blog, we shared about a violent conflict between two of our moms. We’ve been studying furiously to learn the best way of leading these women to reconciliation. We longed to see them forgive and receive forgiveness, yet we knew that it could not be forced; sincere repentance would take time.
During our session on Monday night, the weight on her heart overwhelmed one of our moms and she began to unburden. Her words were raw. Honest. Recognizing her own culpability. Placing herself in the other’s shoes. Genuinely asking for forgiveness, unprompted, out of the repentance in her heart.
After what was one of the most discouraging situations we’ve faced, we felt our hope and optimism returning.
While some days we feel like we’re constantly fighting against cycles that just won’t break their hold, others days we witness an evening like this. Where all we can do is sit back in awe of seeing the Holy Spirit at work.
We are always praying for change. Many days there are situations where we think, “It’ll take a miracle.” (We pray for those, too).
And we believe in miracles. But the reality is that things don’t always end in a miraculously happy outcome. Sometimes change is slow. Painfully slow.
That doesn’t mean change isn’t taking root.
But the most beautiful, and essential, part of the journey is remembering who is the Source of that change, the Light in the darkness, and making the decision to daily be a reflection of that Light.
