Back to Guatemala for this post. My church supports missionary endeavors around the world including, of course, Guatemala. We visited one of my favorite ministries in Guatemala: Manos de Compasion. Located in the Bay of Santiago Atitlan, Manos de Compasion is a childrens’ home. Their number one goal is to minister to abandon, abused, and forgotten children. The views on the journey there are awesome, and the opportunity to have fun with these kids is priceless.
My day job is as a pastor in a church that regularly offers short term mission opportunities. Last year I fell in love with the people of Guatemala, so I returned this summer. This post, and the next few, will contain images from our 10 day trip. These are images of the property where we stayed in San Lucas Sacatepéquez, and images of beautiful Nueva Santa Rosa.
would like to see a few things stay the untroubled giggles of a child a sunset that kaleidoscopes for hours an embrace that fills my heart with peace a haunting melody that sinks into my soul and reminds me that there is love
would like to see a few things stay the knowing when our eyes connect the crashing waves and their rhythmic balm the birdsong soaring through the sad sky colors leaping from a flower spilling on my heavy brow reminding me that there is life
would like to see a few things stay a tree that shades me from all harm a crystal river of understanding shadows stretching through deep green woods the Light that helps me see the Way a hand to hold that guides through the pain reminding me that someone’s there to share a lonely road
oh stay with me lover of my soul let me see the calm before i lose myself nowhere to go the words of life spoken long ago an anchor for an old old soul reminding me that You are here in the mess in my tears reminding me that You are rest
so in my heart it’s raining the stars don’t mind the sun stays behind the sad sad showers just pitter patter and i just stare aware of the polyrhythmic percussion perfectly synchronized with the confusion and the emotional concussion
there’s no melody for this deep blue song it just reminds me of all that has gone wrong
we’re still feeling the falling living with the distance the canyon of longing and sighing and crying and dying looking for morning for light for life and love for the endless morning of light and love
it’s time start another latte la dee da day man the traffic is insane today well like every other day routine kicks in meetings where no one really meets a zoom here a zoom there a formica connection can look so nice a cladding smile hope they don’t see my empty eyes what does it say when the best part of this day is traffic on the way home to my netflix series or was it hulu what’s a lonely soul to do there’s a war somewhere everybody’s yelling but no one’s really saying anything that sounds like truth or has some roots that sink deep in my heart so i lift up my eyes and through the tears i cry why why did i say it that way why did they make fun of me why does the sadness stay why God do you sometimes feel so far away you see i’m in the boat the horizon is gone and the storms rage within and all around so wake up Lord wake up i don’t know what to do but i know you are here in my messy today in my messy yesterday oh won’t you wake up my soul because i see the Tree You there for me i’ll linger here and sing a song to You the melody may be sad but for now it’s all i have so it’s Yours and i am too
it's not that the light has surrendered or darkness has won it's not that the day is done or the night has begun it's the rhythm of all things the spinning and turning the inhaling and exhaling the rising and setting it's the beauty that accompanies all that is held together the colors that connect your soul to the Artist of infinite insight to the Artist who created colors colors so exquisitely subtle shades and hues as countless as the sand on the shore it's the clouds and their random patterns their playful textures it's the breathless moment when our eyes are transfixed when we are able to analyze and explain and yet have no understanding when our minds our hearts finally see something greater we intuit the real and that place of longing awakens for love that lasts for peace that endures for hope fulfilled for faith that comforts let's chase Light embrace the colors take the long narrow way of other-centered living and loving and seek the Artist of our souls
blue skies dancing with the sea on the far horizon i can see the wild waves searching for the shore searching with me for so much more than i can see blue skies there is no outer space through the universe we race let’s just pause let’s just wait listen close our eyes beneath these blue blue skies i dream i dance i lift my soul to You this longing for peace and relief from all the toil inside identity relies and lies outside with You i surrender my ID to You beneath these blue blue skies i’m safe with You
no easter monday morning blues for me i hit the snooze times three don’t want a jelly belly day the church is empty and the band went home the dawn has come to say hello the plastic eggs are put away but no easter monday morning blues for me no easter monday morning blues for me the kids are late the bus on time how can a child make so much whine has there really been a change in me i need to hunt for peace and be free from the weight of all the noise inside He rose i rise He rose i rise yes no easter monday morning blues for me no easter monday morning blues for me i’m different now and yet the same shame shadows call and taunt with glee i’m doing more but i just need to be remembering love’s refrain that it is finished yes, it is finished and though i fall in that same place i’ll remind myself of His great grace and take that little step of faith no easter monday morning blues for me He rose i rise He rose i rise each moment through this crazy day He’s resurrection lights the way so i can trust and say no easter monday morning blues for me
is there a sunrise in all that is setting in me will all the shadows in this blackhole that is me finally flee o rise great Light of mine please rise i’m overwhelmed inside so rise great Light of mine please rise i don’t know where to go so great Light of mine rise i keep leaving the same place i’ve been here before i surrender again remember again the story of me is yours o rise great Light of mine please rise won’t you hear my cries and rise please still my wandering heart start something new inside great Light of mine rise there’s a never ending dawn i long to see i’ll cast aside these anchors finally free i’ll be just the me you always dreamed for me and just rest so rise great Light of mine please rise i’ve got another step to take i can’t bear all the weight but i choose to wait for you great Light of mine please rise
We moved to our current home in Illinois from Michigan back in 2004, but it’s not the first time we have lived in Illinois. We first arrived in Chicago-land back in 1988. However, it wasn’t until we came back in 2004 that we discovered Matthiessen State Park.
The day started out with the typical refrain of cold, low, gray clouds, but Mr. I-Can’t-Seem-To-Get-The-Weather-Report-Right promised clearing skies and it came to pass that a beautiful, mostly sunny afternoon emerged.
One of the things I love about each of the it-feels-like-hundreds-of-times that I have visited this park is that it is always new. It’s like discovering and exploring for the first time, each time.
And I love the quiet… the sense of calm…
I am glad I made time to reflect… walk… listen to a waterfall, or the water gurgling over rocks and a stubborn oak leaf…
Thanks for stopping by.
rutakintome pictures 
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