around the curve

I have been frozen in my brokenness

dry, splintered, fragile

the road ahead and behind

rocky, rutted, slippery

hard to see signposts

in clouds of dust

my steps are small, painful

both in body and heart

yet surely the refreshing

the eruption of new life

is waiting, ever waiting

just around the next curve

For I will [fully] satisfy the weary soul, 

and I will replenish every languishing and sorrowful person.

Jeremiah 31:25 Amplified

short hop

travel day

that's usually tiring to even think about

but this is a short hop

mere hours

not the multiple days

to or from Africa

no meals or movies

no free snacks

2-1/2 hours for our first flight

1 hour for the next

as always

we're in His clouds

in His hands

no better place

slow to change

the seasons are slow to change

this year, uncertain

samples of heat, retreat

as cool returns

two weeks into July

and summer has no foothold

this blood, thinned

by African years, shivers

I see the shrugs, hear

the snickers, loud

from those already awash

in sweat and complaints

leaves me wondering

will I ever be warm

will I ever be home

again

excavating

there's a leak in the water line on our street

water is shut off until the problem can be solved

this morning the heavy equipment rolled in

sometimes the only way to fix an issue

is to excavate, dig deep

a noisy, dirty process

exposing hidden things

buried so long ago

you don't remember

would prefer to forget, but

there is no longer any choice

if you want to stop the bleeding

the only way to healing

is down, opening new paths

to freedom