That sci-fi image kind of best describes how i feel upon returning from the mission trip To La Junta Co. As an explorer pod i cruised around places the mothership can't or hasn't yet been. After my week apart i'm happy to return to the mothership but fearful that the observations documented, people met and objects found will do little to prove of the truly great joy that journey was.
So i'm back! And that cowboy pace is good if you're a cowboy. its got great benefits: a blanket of stars to name just one. God has lead my life differently in D-town. Like i said, i was glad to be back. the work of security guard is quite mental and my mind's buisy humming "I'll Fly Away" and remembering cactus in bloom. I'ed forgotten my core roles and let my team down (it wasn't even lunch yet). God called me back and i'm saying prayers on the clock feeling overwhelmed. By the end of the week i got the hang of it. It did help having the TV in the closet, and some loved ones to tell my stories of La Junta to.
so its been a blessing, on the surface level we TCB'ed (take care of business (popularized by Elvis' jumbo jet)). we transformed an old Conveinence store from the Santa Fe Trail into a bunk house for eight kids and a monitor's room. We tore a hole in the wall for the AC unit. Siding, insulation, roofing. My services were need where the unsung hero's worked: The Ole' Ranchers house. That was going to be a cafe/ social house. The basement flooded in six feet of water about six months ago. Mold mania, mice mayhem, soggy songbooks. The evacuators of soggy, gag-reflexing junk did their thing. i steped up to sweep saying "I know this odoer, it smells like grandma's place in France." Then came two days of lenoleum removing. I'm on a nick name basis, now its "Lenny". Two layers of Lenny about twenty years apart. i can only compare the experiance to pulling gum out of my hair.
Vitally though, i got to meet the younger members of the church and a few older people with nothing better to do. A big trust issue for me was driving the church van filled for four hours. I really needed God's reassurance, and that came with words of advice from about seven past drivers and new front tires. i'm really amazed at the effect encouragement has in my life.
Work was a big chunk of what we did. however, no trip to La Junta is complete without a trip to the Cowboy church -Yeehaww!! Giddy-up 'n mooove 'em out. It was at a sale barn: in the day cattle are ushered around this u-shaped corral and the loose-jawed auctioneer sits right behind them. They're displayed to ranchers equipped with a numbered paddle no different than a fine art auction. well lo-and-behold we were praising God to countryfied hymns (oldies but goodies). Dude had an upright bass!!This event made me think over and over again how little culture i've taken in lately. i even dribbled a tear from being blessed to experiance that. i get overwhelmed at the most unawaiting of times (is that a word?).
Another surprise weller-upper was the next day when half of the praise team from the Cowboy church showed up at our ranch. it was the picturesque duo: girl cross-legged singing on a stool and guy with his ten gallon hat strumming and singing together. Well come to find: that girl had no choice but to sit. she's paralyzed and on that second night, sharing with us about her life and the things she prays for... Well as she introduced the next song she said "Before i pray for forgiveness, before i pray for the life i feel i need and even before praying for others; I ask to know God more." her knowledge of God superseeds all diamonds, gold and silver. And still before wanting to walk, she wants to walk straight with the Lord Jesus and His teachings. (it makes my praying for an Ipod pretty pathetic.) i was hugely humbled and to top it off the song we sang was one of my favorites, Only i forgot about it ten years ago. I used to sing "Lord you are more preasous than silver" as a high schooler over and over. Her name is Emily; and Jeb (the other guest), was about my age but really had a way with words. Talking frankly about lusting after women and what a struggle that is to most men. He was passionate about insisting that we all are brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. And to trust on that understanding ahead of visual feelings. Mentioning Brittany Spears and how a while back she publically wanted purity. And without judging, Jeb made a point of her wanting that Christ-like quality... yet the actions of her life caved in on that claim.
I'm not soon to forget the others stories i failed to mention, hopefully the following pictures will do those stories justice. To bookend this entry, I'll have you know that the mothership is enriched by these lessons of grace out at Echo Canyon Ranch thanks to the explorer pod. I did spend my years alotment of vacation to go, i can't think of a more nourishing vacation to date.
No comments:
Post a Comment