Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Angels in the Dust



My mom wants me to move to Africa. She really must.

Last weekend I was given a DVD by my mother and was told "you need to watch this. It's a documentary on children in Africa who have been orphaned by AIDS". Oh, lovely. That sounds like an amazing movie to watch on a date night while munching on popcorn and Swedish fish. Not. Especially not for this softy.

This film took me 10 days to watch. 10 days! Why? Because I knew long before ever inserting this DVD that it would shake up my world. Again, my mother must want me to move to Africa. Sell everything I own, give up the dreams of clean water, cozy beds, a growing 401K, etc...

If you have Netflix, or are just in the mood to search for a documentary, rent Angels in the Dust. You will not regret it, although your spouse might regret allowing you to watch it. About an hour in, I turned to Tim and asked "So, when do you want to go?" To Africa, that is. Is Monday too soon?

As someone who once hesitated giving my life to Christ for fear of where He'd send me, I think it's safe to say that I've done a complete 180. I'm not joking either on my hesitation to grow in my faith due to geographical fears. In my mind, all Christians became missionaries at some point and this American chick had never longed for international travel. Mexican all-inclusive resorts were enough for me. And somehow, I just knew that the Lord would send me to Africa and I was not gonna do it. Wouldn't be prudent.

Fast forward, which I love doing because our Lord has one huge sense of humor, I've since become a Christian who desires to live their faith out loud, I've since done 4 medical mission trips to Nicaragua, which is the 3rd poorest country in the Western hemisphere, and I dream of Africa. It's not a matter of will I go, but when will I go? When will we go?

I know the hubs slightly rolled his eyes when I asked "so when do you want to go" (eye rolling is an extreme talent of his that we're working on together), BUT he also sat there and watched the entire story with me. I believe he's open to going at some point, short term, and I'm so thankful to be married to someone who gets my heart and doesn't laugh or belittle me for wanting to do our teeny tiny bit to make our world a better place.

Plus, I even caught him cooing a few times over the little bitty children on screen. He cooed and I asked out loud of their sweet. little faces "do you want to come live with me???"

If there are angels in the dust, in a far away land, I want to go and sing and dance with them. I want to hold their dusty little hands, while walking with my husband, across desolate fields where stray animals include ostrich and elephant. I want to follow the good Lord's crazy sense of humor to wherever He wants to send me.

In a way, I always knew this was coming. I just didn't know He could take a girl who once questioned her desire to ever be a parent, to one day wanting to parent children that aren't even mine. He's a funny one, that Lord of mine.

So, when do you want to go?

 

2 comments:

hmgarver421 said...

<3 You are amazing.

Brittany F. said...

Thank you! And thanks for dropping by!