Friday, January 1, 2010
Parent of A Missionary
Today, as I sit here on New Year's Day I am reflecting on the things that I am thanful for in 2009. There are many things. But something that comes to mind right this moment is that I am thankful for Bev, for Karen and for Robin. Bev is my daughter Gwenn's mother in law. Karen and Robin I have not met in person but only here in cyber space. These woman share my heart. They sit in their living rooms and wonder about theirmissionary children.They wait for the little sound on the computer alerting them that they have a Skype phone call coming in. I wonder is like me they are thinking things like "I know people must be tired of hearing it but I have to talk about my family on the mission field." Like me I am guessing that they get frustrated with the people they meet in our country who complain about things that we now know know are just not that important. Like me they surf the web for the best airfare and start to plan their next trip before the plane hits the tarmack on this American soil. They think about malaria, aids, parasites, violence, dirty water,lack of medical provisions. And when we begin to think that no one really understands...we remember..we remember that we are not alone in this journey. There are thousnds of us who know the pain,sorrow and joy and humility and yes,pride, of being the parents of missionaries. We are bonded together and I am thankful. Thankful for those who truly understand.
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Denise,
ReplyDeleteThank You for so eloquently putting into words our lives. It is a wonderful thing when God brings people together, and we find ourselves on the same page. It brings comfort and reassurance. When my children left many years ago there was no one who understood...that has changed and I'm thankful.You are a blessing. Love, Karen
Your words were so beautiful and perfectly describe the lives we live. Thank you!!!
ReplyDeleteEven though my children are home now, I have learned a new appreciation for parents of missionaries and I will not take for granted the things I used to. I have also learned that we may not always hold our children in our arms - but always, always they are in our hearts.
I am so surprised about how I feel now that my kids are home. I am not ecstatic. I feel the pain they feel as they have felt they had no choice in returning home due to their house not selling. Their hearts are full of sadness and longing to go back, but for whatever reason, God has not allowed their house to sell. It is hard to watch them be so sad.
I feel in my heart that they will return to the mission field someday. And next time I will do a much better job because of what I have experienced. I will let them go with pride.
Thank you Denise for sharing your journey with me. I look forward to reading of your life and family in the future. Even though we have never met - we are sisters.
Love, Robin