Summer 2021

We've been back in Kenya for about 3.5 weeks. This poem poured out of me as I tried to process our 10 weeks of traveling around the US this summer. The experience overall was good, hard, wonderful, and exhausting. We are SO thankful for the gift of time with family and friends, as it had been 2 years since our kids had been with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. 

(I shared this in our email newsletter. If you'd like to be added to our email list, just send me a message or email!)

Summer 2021

 

Do I dare be myself?

In this moment, this day?

How do I encourage others?

What words should I say?

 

Politics, opinions, and noise,

Most voices loudly scream.

It seems that few can listen.        

Do I dare say anything? 

 

4,000 miles.

We listen.

We care.

We contemplate.

We long.

For a place that feels like home.

 

Do I dare be myself?

In this moment, this day?                     

Will I be labeled, categorized, and criticized,

With every word I say?

 

Family, friends, and strangers

Most quite busy and tired

Yet we find several spaces

With deep peace and hope acquired.

 

10 weeks. 

We drive. 

We eat.

We visit.

We play.

For this short but long time, we stay. 

 

We stay with the discomfort.

We stay with the feelings.

We stay with the joy.

We stay with the healing. 

 

We see so much healing.

We’ve changed and we’ve grown.

We see many hurting.

We all long to be known.

 

40+ families.

We share. 

We receive.

We love.

We ache.

For the fear and pain in which we all quake. 

 

All around the world

Much is different, yet the same.

We see struggling humanity.

So what is our aim?

 

Our aim is to listen.

Our aim is to care.

Our aim is mercy.

Our aim is to bear.  

 

1,000+ opinions.

Raised voices.

Angry words.

Quick judgments.

Deafening sounds.

With our feet planted firmly on the ground. 

 

To be the secure, steady people

Who bless us so much.

This is our aim,

To be a warm, safe touch. 

 

In a world gone crazy

On every side of the road

We want to be a soft landing

To those searching for home. 

 

As we process and pray

Through all we’ve seen and heard,

We are longing to listen

Before speaking a word. 

 

Maybe if we could listen

To voices different from our own

We could learn from each other

Instead of being alone.

 

1 billion+ people.

Fragmented.

Fearful.

Pain-filled.

Broken. 

May we become home with every word spoken.