The Birds of the Air

To those who seek Him, God never hides His face. He says Go in Peace.

My office overlooks the metropolis of Greater Beirut where towering glass skyscrapers stand side by side with buildings still shattered by the war. Every morning I roll up the shades so I can look over the tops of the university trees and see the city. A glint of noon sun blinds me from a gray glass building, amazing me once again at the hope of a people who build in glass believing no more bullets will demolish their bright future. To the left, a crane moves methodically back and forth, adding floors to a 20-story high shell. And each morning, the planes fly by.

When I first came, I would watch those planes coming in for landing, their pencil thin bodies gliding through the air on a straight trajectory headed for the airport that is tucked just around the corner beyond sight. On the difficult days, I would long to be on one of them, taking off in the opposite direction over the Mediterranean sea towards Europe, the first stop on the way home. I knew, theoretically, that this country was to be my home for the next year and I knew also that it would be easier if I could say so with confidence.

Then there are days like today. A day when I am wrapped up in welcoming and bringing new ones to the campus, worrying like a mother bear about all the little details and hoping they will feel that this is a good place to be. A day when my feet hardly touch the ground as I scurry between offices, connecting, communicating, and coordinating. A day when I realize how easy it is to feel joy and how effortlessly everyone responds to the exuberance in my heart. A day when God whispers see? every time someone shares another story about how He has personalized a miracle in their life or someone touches my heart with unexpected kindness.

I may not know where I will be 6 months from now, but I can trust that my Father will take care of me. The days may be dreary or filled with uncertainty, but I can trust that my Father will place joy in my heart. I may not feel God's presence as tangibly as I would like, but I can trust that my Father never hides His face but is beside me blessing me with peace.

Perhaps this is the biggest life lesson I have yet to learn. To trust my Father implicitly with my life and rest in knowing He will care for me.