One year ago, Emily posted the following...
Courtesy of my friend, Matt, this Franciscan benediction has become a favorite of mine. It explains who I hope to be and what I hope to do on the World Race.
May God bless you with discomfort
At easy answers, half-truths,
And superficial relationships
So that you may live deep
Within your heart.
May God bless you with anger
At injustice, oppression,
And exploitation of people,
So that you may work for justice,
Freedom, and peace.
May God bless you with tears
To shed for those who suffer pain,
Rejection, hunger, and war,
So that you may reach out your
Hand to comfort them and
To turn their pain into joy.
And may God bless you with
Enough foolishness
To believe that you can make
A difference in the world,
So that you can do what others
Claim cannot be done,
And bring justice and kindness to
All our children and the poor.
I read it again this morning and was shocked at how much of it has already happened! This prayer is described all through her blogs...it gives me chills how true it has been. Read some of her blogs and see how God took her seriously. http://www.emilytuttle.theworldrace.org ; especially the ones on "Mae" in Thailand and a recent one called "Carry the Weight".
Emily is about to begin Month 10 in Laos. She will be home in two months. It seems like yesterday that we said goodbye and watched her walk away.
This year has changed her life forever.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Saturday, September 10, 2011
God Can Handle Knowing It All...I Can't!
I used to think it would be so interesting to be like God and be able to know everything...or at least the things I wanted to know, like what my kids are doing....that is until the World Race. It's probably a good thing I don't know everything that's happening on the World Race.
...such as the time she was robbed in Peru. A thief broke into her apartment and stole her computer, hard drive, and camera. Thankfully, she was not there.
...And the time she was on the back of a motorcycle and the driver proposed to her twice hoping for a free ticket to America.
...And the time she got a tattoo....and those blood tests she had along the way to test for different diseases....thankfully the needles were clean and the tests were negative.
...And the time she flew out of the raft into class 4 rapids in the Nile River...and didn't hit her head on a rock or get swept down the river....she did, however, swallow too much water and now her body is the home of several parasites. She's been sick for a month with intestinal issues....the darn little things are hard to kick!
I did get the opportunity to experience answered prayer with her. She stayed home sick one Sunday, and the hosts, not knowing she stayed there, locked the doors of her house for security. She couldn't get out to the outhouse. She texted us in the middle of the night our time, and we prayed for someone to return to the house so she could get relief. Sure enough, they did.
...And there was the time her teammate was a victim of a snatch and drag robbery along the road in Africa and was covered with cuts and bruises.
...And the number of malaria and typhoid cases in her house.
...And the number of bottles of impure water she drank. In Africa, it is common for some companies to refill the water bottles with impure tap water and reseal the tops to be sold again.
I'm sure there have been and will continue to be many more near misses and close calls and dangerous situations during her journey...some we'll hear about, and some we won't until later or not at all. It's these times that I'm glad I'm not all knowing, and I'm glad that those many nights I woke up and prayed(because I believe God woke me up and prompted me to), He was answering my prayers, protecting and providing exactly what she needed.
I know Emily and I have both learned a lot about depending on God this year.
...such as the time she was robbed in Peru. A thief broke into her apartment and stole her computer, hard drive, and camera. Thankfully, she was not there.
...And the time she was on the back of a motorcycle and the driver proposed to her twice hoping for a free ticket to America.
...And the time she got a tattoo....and those blood tests she had along the way to test for different diseases....thankfully the needles were clean and the tests were negative.
...And the time she flew out of the raft into class 4 rapids in the Nile River...and didn't hit her head on a rock or get swept down the river....she did, however, swallow too much water and now her body is the home of several parasites. She's been sick for a month with intestinal issues....the darn little things are hard to kick!
I did get the opportunity to experience answered prayer with her. She stayed home sick one Sunday, and the hosts, not knowing she stayed there, locked the doors of her house for security. She couldn't get out to the outhouse. She texted us in the middle of the night our time, and we prayed for someone to return to the house so she could get relief. Sure enough, they did.
...And there was the time her teammate was a victim of a snatch and drag robbery along the road in Africa and was covered with cuts and bruises.
...And the number of malaria and typhoid cases in her house.
...And the number of bottles of impure water she drank. In Africa, it is common for some companies to refill the water bottles with impure tap water and reseal the tops to be sold again.
I'm sure there have been and will continue to be many more near misses and close calls and dangerous situations during her journey...some we'll hear about, and some we won't until later or not at all. It's these times that I'm glad I'm not all knowing, and I'm glad that those many nights I woke up and prayed(because I believe God woke me up and prompted me to), He was answering my prayers, protecting and providing exactly what she needed.
I know Emily and I have both learned a lot about depending on God this year.
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