‘The groundwork of absolute surrender to God is absolute impotence.’

 

What a way to start a blog, a story!

Such a harsh statement; impotence seeming such a very final and painful condition.

 

Then I lived it in my reality.

No (my) house.

No (my) car.

No (my) closet, (my) dishes, (my) rack full of shoes.

No tether to (my) way and (my) plans and (my) routine.

 

No certain success;

no visible net to catch me when I fall.

Impotent.

It can be paralyzing

or liberating.

 

By default,

I am liberated.

And will be

again I know~

 

 

I’ve set myself up for nothing else:

God comes in.

And so~

 

All that’s been given:

Rides; everywhere

Company to keep us sane in the residence when we may have begun to let homesickness creep in~

Pantry staples to get us started

Chocolate J

A radio to catch up on life outside~

 

A bike for Patrick

Beach rides (to our blissful joy)

Dinner, conversation and a glass of red

An unexpected find of roos, and a driving tour through their ‘mob’

Two offers of a car borrow

Tins to replace my aluminum, hole filled ones

A bouquet of fresh herbs to enhance our limited pantry stock

A box of fruit fresh from the orchard

A map of Western Australia to Patrick

A cake J

A ride to a wonderful church each and every Sunday! (And I know I am not ‘on her way’~)

And my (second) favorite thing(s), total of four bottles of Australian wine; I’m savoring its presence and saving it to share with John

Which leaves my (first) favorite thing, amazing, generous, caring connections that I hope will be everlasting.

And now, lodging for Patrick and his ‘just caught up with us brother Daniel’-who is taking  a gap year down under, as I discovered their beautiful redheads would cost me far more than I budgeted if they stayed in residence with me (ack!) They’re being put to work and cooking for themselves; I love the experience-even if they don’t J

Oh! And one more thing, a morning AND afternoon tea time! Every day! With cakes!

(Can’t tell me the Aussie’s don’t rightly appreciate the good stuff)

 

I’ve run into equally amazing people in America and Canada, but the Australians have a generosity that far exceeds anything I’ve come across yet.

As a student pointed out, most Australians have faced extreme conditions, lack, need, loss. Therefore their propensity to give generously on the other side of it is a guarantee.

 

Makes me ponder on where America is, and where America is heading…..

 

Which begs me to ask myself,

How can I not simply stand and receive gratefully?!

And the world expands…..

In love. trish