Being Sabbath

For the most part, Yap isn't part of my main stream of consciousness these days. I love hearing updates and finding ways to support and pray for the school here and there and try to keep tabs on "my" kids as much as I can. But what I thought was impossible has happened--life has moved on. God keeps moving and I want to follow, and it's good. I'm still learning a lot, still growing. And still feel like this world is not my home, so there is no danger of getting too comfortable at least. It's the way things should be for now.

But my memories of Yap still poke my heart sometimes--usually on Friday nights. Those Yap Friday nights were hard to beat, I guess. Candlelight or yellow Christmas lights (which the giant roaches loved as much as we did); fruit salad or waffles; a little Fernando Ortega or Chris Rice...and the best part: talking and just being together. We laughed so hard. We shared deep things. We prayed for each other. We talked about our cultures and our families, and the things we missed about home. We got to know Jesus' love for each of us together, and encouraged each other when we hurt. It was so biblical but so natural. It was my Sabbath, and I looked forward to it all week.

It was a taste of heaven I'll never forget, and I don't want to. It reminds me of what can be. Even if I can't always have the exact same kind of community around me, perhaps with God's help I can be that kind of Sabbath now and then for whoever is around me. I think that is one thing He has called me to do.