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Vol. 2007 Issue 08 ~ August

If you’ve been following this column for any length of time, you know that May was supposed to be my self-proclaimed “month of movement”.  That several areas where I’d felt stuck were going to somehow undo themselves just because I finally had had it with waiting around.  And as you know, nothing changed.  (Hate when that happens…)

However, I am here to tell you that movement has been appearing in various forms in my life just in the past couple weeks.  Looking different than I thought it would, as is usually the case, and I’ll share about one area this month.

I’d been hoping to get to Africa.  In some kind of strategic trip that would help me help my church figure out a proper response to the AIDS crisis.  Well, this summer has come and gone and Africa did not get stamped onto my passport.  However, I was invited by Samaritan’s Purse to attend a Pastors’ Conference on HIV/AIDS in Haiti, and I actually said yes!  At the time of this writing, I’m about two weeks from going; at the time of your reading, I’m probably home (well, Lord willing – it’s dangerous down there!). 

I’m anticipating this trip to be such a gift on so many levels.  First of all, it was basically tailor-made for me…it’s over the summer so my husband can be home with the kids, it’s quick (four days), it’ll give me a great taste of what Samaritan’s Purse is doing in an area that my church is already involved in, it’s close-ish (compared to a day and a half of travel to Africa), and it’ll give me a cultural experience that my life sorely needs to put things into perspective, among other things.

Also, and this is probably the biggest lesson I’ve already learned, I now know that I’m not the kind of person to let fear stop me.  It’s the third most dangerous place to travel IN THE WORLD right now and I’ll be honest, I’m downright scared that something is going to happen to me.  When I told my husband, Kevin, the other day that I’m planning to write a few letters to some people telling them I love them and such for him to send out if I don’t come back, he said, “If you’re that scared of something bad happening, then why are you going?”  I said, “Because I need to prove to God and to myself that even though I really don’t know if he’ll protect me physically, that I’ll still go and do where and what I feel He’s leading me to go and do.” 

I didn’t think I had it in me, to tell you the truth.  Granted, I haven’t actually gone yet.  But I’ve gotten the shots, cleared my schedule and bought the ticket.  In my mind, I’m as good as there.  No matter what happens.  Because sometimes, even in just the trying, even in just the act of being willing, light breaks in.  And that’s one lesson worth waiting for.

Ó Elisabeth K. Corcoran, 2007

Elisabeth Corcoran is the author of In Search of Calm: Renewal for a Mother’s Heart (2005) and Calm in My Chaos: Encouragement for a Mom’s Weary Soul (2001).  She is wife to Kevin, and mom to Sara, 10-&-1/2, and Jack, 9.  Her passion is encouraging women and the Church, which she fulfills through serving in leadership on staff part-time at Christ Community Church – Blackberry Creek Campus in Aurora, Illinois, and writing and speaking as much as she can.  You can learn more about Elisabeth and her ministry at www.elisabethcorcoran.com. 

Submitted on : 19-Nov-2007