Three weeks after we evacuated to Bali to escape the riots on Lombok Island, we returned to our home. On my desk I found my abandoned letter to my parents from January 17, the day the riots broke out. My last words on the unfinished page read, "We are not terribly alarmed, just being careful." I picked up where I left off.
Fear
Women and Children First
"Wake up! Gather our belongings and meet in the hotel lobby!" Banging on the door aroused us from the beds we had just settled into. Frantically we followed orders and and joined our teammates and other guests to await our fate. There we received the news we had feared.
Hopeless
My devotional asks me, "What can I do to relieve the fears of others?" I am stopped short. I have been exacerbating fears, not relieving them.
Do Not Be Anxious
With Mark in Dresden, Germany Last month, I accepted the realization that I am an anxious traveler. While I have had the privilege of traversing much of the globe as a child of missionaries and then later as one myself, I was usually accompanied by someone. Only four times in my life have I made … Continue reading Do Not Be Anxious
Command and Promise
But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary. Luke 1:30 The angel's preface to his commissioning, "Do not be afraid," is the most commonly repeated command in the Bible. There is good reason for this for we are people of fear. Mary was afraid of what the angel was going to ask her to … Continue reading Command and Promise
New Directions
What would I do if I wasn't afraid? I read this question and began to ponder. My heart was restless, my task too small, my soul longing for more. The TCK (third-culture-kid) part of me was itching for a new challenge, a change and yet the US part of me was liking the comfortable life … Continue reading New Directions
Bollards
A row of bollards loomed in front of me. My heartbeat accelerated. My cadence slowed. The bike path was challenging enough without the prospect of navigating between a row of narrowly placed poles. These fixed posts, designed to keep vehicles from crossing, threatened to disrupt my peaceful ride with my husband. I tentatively approached the … Continue reading Bollards
Pondered Treasures 