The Sound of Perspective

I jokingly helped a friend gain some perspective this week. She was lamenting the fact that her clothes dryer had left marks on a load of laundry, so I reminded her that at least she HAS a clothes dryer, unlike many others of us. This help was given and received light heartedly. Tonight, as I was lying in bed with a sick Sammy, planning this post in my head, I received my own not-so-lighthearted perspective. I was planning to share news of the first two weeks of school (which have included extensive teacher retreat and inservice time and the subsequent arrival of the students); the majority of which was going to center around the changes taking place at CAG and the toll those changes are taking on many of us. I wanted to try to share an honest view of what we are working through as a school to try to best serve our students, families, and staff. It has been a challenging and stressful start for many, to say the least. As I was, in my mind, putting together a prayer request list, I heard my perspective ring out loudly and clearly...several rounds of gunfire coming from just down the street, followed by a short pause and then several more rounds. As I squeezed Sam more closely and began praying, I quickly gained a better perspective on things like scheduling mishaps and an overcrowded nursery and communication issues that have been taxing us at school these past few weeks. While I am certain Sam, Javier, and I were not in any direct danger tonight, those shots were a reminder of all that we take for granted, even here in Guatemala. Most of us serving (or being served) at CAG lead relatively secure lives; with real homes, our own transportation, concrete walls and razor wire. But we also have much more than that. We have a safe place to go every day where we have friends in Christ who love us and uphold us; and who, despite the stresses and misunderstandings of these first weeks, are trying their best to serve one another. So tonight, I'm putting aside my prayer requests for those of us already in the body of Christ, those of us who should know better how to find appropriate ways to function as that body, and am asking you to join me in lifting up those who don't know such extravagance in their lives; whether here in Guatemala or in your own hometown.