Sarah sleeps

Some people can sleep on a plane, and some can’t, and a few people will say they sort-of can sleep, but that’s like they sort-of can breath. Either you can or you can’t. If you sort of can, then you don’t know either way, which means you don’t remember, which means you slept just fine thank you. I’m a no-sleep plane guy. If I don’t sleep across the Atlantic, I might sleep on the connecting, but that's about it. Otherwise, it’s iPods, cheap paperbacks that aren’t cheap, flight magazines and the airline-shopping magazine. Shopping in the middle of the Atlantic! This has got to be an American invention – when the people are bored, maybe they’ll spend money.

Some people however could sleep outside in a metal tent, during a Texas hailstorm. Let me introduce you to Sarah G. Sarah G., or just Sarah, is an anomaly that we are all envious of. She can sleep anywhere. Standing up, lying down, middle of a loud folk show, on a hot bus … on an airplane. She has that remarkable ability to get the rest she needs, when she needs it. This is certainly a gift I would love to have. Anne has it as well. Sarah took every opportunity to sleep - and her energy showed it. I’ve decided not to post any pictures (what was funny in Russia just seems like a cruel idea now), but know that Sarah slept everywhere she could! I still am finding sleep an elusive charecter that taunts at one moment and flees the next.

Now that we are three days back in the U.S., I truly am jealous. I have not slept well since we returned and I slept little while we were there. Frankly, this whole process reminds me that God designed us for activity and rest and that one depends on the other. You cannot serve our God, our risen Savior, and not spend some energy doing it. And you cannot serve without finding physical rest and spiritual rest at the end of the day. Solace is important, refuge is crucial and they both are needed in the battles that we wage, so we need to always return to our Source at the end of the day.

We’re home now and only one bag is missing (camera bag). Everyone is exhausted and still about 6 time zones short of being fully present. As we spent months preparing for this trip, I hope we will spend the rest of our lives reflecting on it. I pray that we will find rest in the One who sent us – our most loving God. May we all awaken from this past week and immediately seize every opportunity to serve! Rest now, for the harvest still waits.