MISSION UPDATE: One thing and then another
My hands were working the bread dough while my mind skittered around thinking of all the things that still needed to be done. I like to blame it on the fact that I carried 8 babies, including a set of twins, but the ache in my lower back was reminding me the day had been long.
As I attempted to make a mental checklist of things yet to do, a voice from the other room got louder as small feet pattered their way toward me.
"Momder?" Somehow they've meshed mama and mother and landed on this endearing amalgamation.
"Momder, can I have water? I don't see a cup?" The round face before me was Thai but the words were in English and I knew the need couldn't be put off. Hydration is essential when you're sweating all day. I pulled my hands from my dough bowl, wiped them off, grabbed a cup from the shelf and filled it with water. She smiled and thanked me, drained the cup, and dashed out of the kitchen.
I stirred the pot of potato soup on the stove and went back to the dough. I did another quick mental scramble to find where I'd left off on my to-do list and had barely found my place when Mommmdddeeerrrrr could be heard floating on the air again.
I briefly closed my eyes and reminded myself to be calm. This is my work; the bread, the soup, the tidy house, the scrubbed floors ... they matter, but not so much as showing these little people Jesus in my responses to them.
By the time the two dirty-faced 11 year olds (not twins but they are half brothers...the mom of the one married the father of the other) appeared beside my wooden prep table, I had a genuine smile to offer them. They told me of the mowing and weed eating they'd done, the vegetables they'd helped to pick from the garden, and about how funny the ducks and chickens are. They informed me they were dreadfully thirsty from all their work in the heat and so they, too, drank water before hurrying off, leaving a trail of grass clippings in their wake.
By this point, my dough was ready for shaping and I got it into the loaf pans and set them on the stove to rise. The soup was done so I pushed it to the back burner and covered it and then set about cleaning my little kitchen. I was hurrying, racing the clock, and so when I heard it again I knew God was asking me to just slow down and trust Him to multiply my time as He saw fit.
"Mama, the goats were stubborn today. They didn't want to go back to their pen so it took longer. But they're so cute that I didn't mind. Ohhhhhh, we're having bread and soup tonight?? This is an amazing day! Did I tell you that I took the sickle and whacked the tall grass down around P'Sanae's garden? I didn't hit the vegetables." This time it was 10 year old Zach. Whether they're Thai or American, the sense of joy they experience when they accomplish something that required hard work is the same. He left to find Gauv and Jing to help put the ducks, chickens, and peacock safely away for the day.
I met the setting of the sun with tasks I wish had been accomplished. My house is clean enough but not as clean as I'd like it to be. My to-do list might as well have been a to-don't list because it never stood a chance. It little mattered, though, because I had surrendered it to God. We gathered for worship, which included four newly arrived volunteers who are still dealing with jetlag. The addition of their smiles, their interaction with our kids, and our delight in having their company made the evening feel more relaxed.
I flipped off the light to my kitchen this evening with gratitude. The day's work was over, finished or not.
The past week brought a new-born baby girl to campus (congratulations Sanae and Waew!) and it also brought what we think (hope) is the end of flood season. We started the week evacuated and we're ending it back at home. We're so thankful that the water is receeding in areas of Thailand that were hit hard with flooding this year. We're praying for those in America who have been devastated by the hurricanes, tornados, mudslides and flooding these past two weeks.
As the kids scooted off for bed tonight, and my neck was hung on and my cheeks were kissed, I felt tired. Ready for the day to end and for rest to come. But I also felt the fullness of what it is to be so abundantly loved in all the ways I don't possibly deserve. I experienced the nearness of God as my sweet, little Chia stuck her mouth to my ear and whispered, "Tell Momder Chia say goodnight and Chia love Momder."
I love her right back. I have kids spanning two continents and I love all of them. I'm right where God has me, living the hardest life I've ever lived, and nothing could be more rewarding.
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