Returning to my old routine

“Well, I'm back.”

  - Sam to Rosie and Elanor upon his return from the Grey Havens in The Return of the King

A week ago Thursday night, Emma and I walked in the back door of our home on Fifth Street at the conclusion of our 12-day trip to Africa and back. It was a wonderful brief adventure full of stories a few of which I will attempt to share in another post or two. Since returning from Africa, I really haven't had a lot of time to relax. In fact, if anything a case could be made that those twelve days that I was out of my regular routine was a vacation as opposed to a “ministry trip”. Our phones didn't work (due to not having the correct SIM cards), we had very limited access to the internet and obviously, we weren't in “Kansas” any more. So, most mornings I would arise, enjoy a simple East African breakfast of boiled eggs, bananas, bread and hot tea, and head out into whatever we had planned for that day. At night, I would journal, sit up and share with members of our team or read my Bible under cover of mosquito netting. It was a very simple routine that we took to fairly easily. But since returning all of us have been in a hurry to “catch up” on our lives.

The Day Away was worth getting home for

It began during the six-hour trip back from Chicago. In our absence, life here had gone on without commercial interruption. All of us seemed to be on the phone during the trip home touching base and getting brought up to speed on things that had transpired while we were away. For me, that meant learning of a couple in our fellowship who had experienced another miscarriage. Another family had experienced something of a blow-up. On the other hand, the plans for the Holy Spirit-day for the current Alpha course were all in place so that all I needed to do was show up Saturday morning with my guitar ready to lead worship. As for Emma and I, we both intentionally laid low on Friday catching up on our sleep and staying close to home. For the first time in years I went grocery shopping with Linda before heading off to my first official day of track practice. But by the next day, the “vacation” was over – the “Day Away” on Saturday, the Sunday worship gathering, the monthly Board of Deacons meeting on Monday night, visiting with a couple from our fellowship who had just returned from their own ministry trip to Guatemala on Tuesday night, Tom Stamman on Wednesday night, a community meeting to hear from two of the candidates who have applied for the District Superintendent position for our school district last night – yeah, the party's over. I'm definitely back.

She's got the lead in this

For Emma, she's been running herself between catching up on school work, getting ready for solo ensemble, attending play practice and dance lessons, going to forensic practice and the like. In fact, every time I see her she seems a little flush in the face as if she has literally been running from appointment to appointment. But when I ask her how's she doing her standard reply is, “wonderful.” As much as she liked being in Africa, she thoroughly enjoys the life she leads. And that's a good thing.

Now that's a Kenyan road

A couple from our fellowship purchased my airline ticket as a loan so I have returned from Africa owing about $1,000. Sunday afternoon, Roselawn called and asked if I could sub the next day. How could I say no? And then on Monday, they asked if I could sub the next day and Thursday as well. I took those assignments as well. So my first full day back in the office wasn't until Wednesday. As much as a blessing as it was to “go to Africa” a second time, creature of habit that I am it sure is nice to get back to my “old routine.” But things here aren't “same-o, same-o.” On the contrary, there is much work to be done and not just busy-work either. By the grace of God, lives are in process here and I live with the sense that some of the work I do has eternal merit. I like traveling to encourage brothers and sisters in the Lord in other places and hope to do much more of it in the future. But in the mean time it's good to be home, to sit in my chair in my office as I compose these lines and pace in our sanctuary as I pray for my family and congregation. Being in the friendly confines again doesn't breed contempt but rather a profound sense of gratefulness that of all the places there are to serve in the world I get to serve here.

Sure hope to get back sooner than later