It was his turn. Breakfast was interrupted by tears that rarely fall.
‘Dad are you really crying?’ the daughter questioned tentatively. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen you cry before.’
‘He is selling his bike,’ she explained. ‘Looks like he has a buyer.’
‘It’s not the bike,’ he said all choked. ‘It’s all the times I’ve been out with my friends, those early mornings, the Ladrillera (a route out to a brick works with a challenging hill). ‘I’m not going to experience that again.’
There had been a rather heated discussion. Do we take a container with all our household goods back to Australia after 10 years of living in Peru?
She said yes please, it will break her heart to sell everything off, and they’ll have something of Peru with them. He said no thanks, the cost is just outrageous.
‘I’ll fall apart, I’ll break into a thousand pieces.’ she said.
She heard a whisper. ‘You will not break; I’ll hold you together.’
‘I’ll trust you Lord, but how?’
So now he feels it too. He looks at her. ‘You’re going to cry a lot aren’t you.’
Yes, she will. The big table full of food and fun and precious people. The bed, a beloved, sacred sanctuary. The desk where words were poured over and poured forth. Those lounges sunk with conversations that ran so very deep.
They are just things, made from wood and leather and carbon fibre. They represent so much. She’ll gently place those memories into a pocket of her heart named ‘grateful’. She’ll desire nothing more than Him, that’s how she will not break.
‘Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.’ Psalm 73:25-26
P.S. They’re bringing a container after all. And everything they own feels like a gift…all over again.
I’m crying with you. The people and experiences are of the greatest value and will remain in your hearts forever.
They certainly are! We’ll shed a few more salty tears together before long!
Hi Alison! I don’t know if you remember me, but I worked with Stuart in teaching English and was at another ACyM church! Love your site! I was blessed to sit with your family around your table 6 years ago! I’m sad to see/read you guys will be leaving Peru, but am excited for where the Lord will use you next 🙂 thank you for being faithful and being such a great example to me and so many others of what it is to serve and love like Jesus!
Annie! Of course we remember you! You’re a treasure! So lovely to hear from you and pray all is well with you and your family. Where are you now? Let’s keep in touch! Big hug to you!
Yes! We’re now friends on Facebook 🙂 would love to see you guys one day somewhere! Godspeed!!
Big hug to you!