Recovering

Did last week happen? How surreal to again be Mom, student, wife, housekeeper.

I travelled back seated next to an Albanian Imam who leads a Muslim Albanian congregation in Connecticut. He's a young, modern looking 27 year old who had gone to Turkey to marry a lovely girl (I saw the hundreds of pictures from the wedding and "met" all their relatives). We got along well and the peace I felt sitting next to him was representative of the spirit of my trip: freedom and love for humanity.

Freedom from the guilt that used to possess me and would have previously haunted me in every village home, with each disabled child, and in that airplane seat for 11 hours: if I don't share the gospel with these "lost" I am a failure of a Christian. This time I saw people as beautiful creations made in God's image rather than souls to evangelize. It was so freeing! I caught a glimpse of their original glory, for we all reflect, to one degree or another, the image of our Creator.

The Imam and I were seated in the midst of a Kurdish village, immigrating to Nashville. Oh my! Kids galore crawling over seats, everyone jumping up (after clapping) as soon as the wheels touched down to get their things and deboard, hysteria when we came upon an escalator on our way to passport control. My prayers go out to them (and Nashville residents) as they begin a new life in a foreign land.

And here I am, back in my comfortable home, denying that I have a paper due tonight or a photography exhibit to pull off starting tomorrow or Ella's sixth birthday party to host on Saturday. I'd like to relish my trip a bit longer... and tell you so much more!