Solitude

Once I went to Kenya. There was every kind of danger…wild animals, dangerous roads with thieves waiting to stop unsuspecting outsiders, beautiful poverty-stricken children, deaf people who love God but worship very differently from people I know, new friends, strange sights and smells that were different from anything I had seen or smelled before...all of these thoughts are still very much a part of what I remember.

There is a well-known story in missionary circles about a missions team that was traveling in the jungles with native guides. They had been traveling for many days and making good progress when one morning the guides simply refused to go further.

The American asked the local guide why they refused to go. The local tribesman said, “We must wait on our spirit to catch up with our body.”

Without cars and watches and expensive homes or nice apartments, these people have a world view very different from ours. I’ve already planned most of my day before I finish my coffee every day.

Maybe there is something to be said for taking some quiet time…some solitude…sitting still without a radio or television blaring in the background and get in touch with some of life-life very different from what we usually practice. I think that’s where you’ll find your Hope.

Then if you need to, stop and get a Venti, quad, caramel, skinny macchiato and ramp back up to the warp speed we live in. And have a nice day. Sometimes I find hope as elusive as you do...but it's out there.