We’re back and a month has never gone by faster! January was a wild month - for me it started in my college town seeing my closest friends and then quickly heading to Nicaragua with the fellows. (we’ll be heading back to talk about our trip very shortly) The rest of the month was kind of a jumble of things, mostly surrounding the snow and ice that has been hitting Raleigh. The weather has brought some gifts to me - getting iced in at the Miedema’s with Hailey, getting to truly rest and slow all the way down, walking outside in fresh snow that reminds me of living in Virginia, and having the space to engage my creativity for many hours crafting on my floor. It also has imposed on my month in a couple of ways - cancelling two weekends of my friends coming to visit from college, making it harder to get in routine in Raleigh, and keeping me away from work. (I know this might sound crazy, but I love my job and I missed those days on my latest paycheck) Although inconvenient, the snow offers such beauty that I’m trying to soak up. The quietness our world rarely offers, uninterrupted time to process our trip/enneagram work/a new year starting, an excuse to spend the whole day in my pajamas, real true space to pay attention to my soul and the Lord’s whisper.
So back to Nicaragua! I know y’all are dying to hear about it and it really was a huge part of my month, including much inspiration to slowwww down. Something about me is that my soul and body really want to live at a slow pace - I am my most real self when I can take my time, be present, breathe, walk slowly on the sidewalk. As soon as we landed in Nicaragua and met Coburn (who led our trip), I realized this pace my soul craves would be satisfied. It was explained that our time there would be a pilgrimage rather than a mission trip which if you are like me prior to the trip, you might be saying “huh what does that mean?”. Coburn explained it as a time to really experience Nicaragua, being able to pay attention to what God had for us, noticing God’s character in the people and places of the country. It was a slower, more holistic model for this type of trip than I had ever heard of or experienced. I loved it!!! We spent the week moving at the pace that I imagine Jesus moved at - easing into the day, stopping to listen and fully be with people, prioritizing playing and delighting, and yet still getting what needed to be done, done. And something awesome happened, my soul was recentered, my eyes were fixed on the heart of Christ. Not because we were working 24/7 with our heads down, but because the people in Nicaragua were open with us by sharing the consolations and desolations of their life, because I got the chance to stare at a volcanic lagoon while eating a pb&j, because I encountered the presence of the Lord in a tiny, tiny town called La Fortuna, and because I woke up in peace and went to bed grateful!
I could talk forever about the specifics of our trip and how they’ve changed me and brought our group closer, but for now I’ll share what is sticking out to me this morning as I reflect. I’m struck this morning by the story of the thief on the cross next to Jesus in Mark’s gospel. The thief’s place in heaven was secured by one sentence “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” When we were in La Fortuna listening to incredible stories of struggle and faith I was reminded of the boundless ability of the Lord - absolutely filling people far from comfort or stability or even a church with his flowing spirit. What did it take for the thief on the cross to go from hurling insults along with the crowd (Matthew 27:44) to humbly acknowledging that the man next to him was the word made flesh? A short encounter, simply time spent in arm’s distance from him. That’s the power of our God - for you, for me, for the people in a sheet metal, dirt floor home in Nicaragua. All it takes is proximity to his spirit, which reaches to the very ends of the earth, to transform hearts. We are all the thief on the cross, paying the price for our sin until we encounter the one who can wash it all away.
I hope you’re enjoying the snow and your February 1st, this is what I’m enjoying:
Taking some fellows & maggie mae to hot pot (picture below)
Scrapbooking!!
Rediscovering the enneagram and diving in
The way the fellows and Ashley celebrated me on my birthday in Nicaragua!
My new found love for yogurt - solely the brand siggi's
Watching Hailey be her full self because Harry Styles has returned
Walking around Shelley Lake
Ziplining and swimming in Nicaragua, surreal!!!
Buying an oura ring secondhand - this is two days old I’ll keep you updated
Life! Just loving it
Okay bye, I need lunch!!
Xoxo, Reagan
