Operation Normalization

And so begins the re-entry.

By this point, just shy of 48 hours back, I'd say I'm feeling surprisingly fantastic.  Woke up way too early Saturday morning (like about 2:30 or so), but was able to use the time to unpack and do laundry and just quietly make my way through the normal tasks of returning.  Sorting things out, putting things back where I need them to be for my regular life, preparing for the 'on-purpose-lightly-scheduled' week ahead.

Even at the wedding I officiated yesterday, all went well.  Buoyed by a short nap earlier in the day, I was very glad that the ceremony unfolded glitch-free, and that the conversation at the table afterward was thoroughly enjoyable.

Good bye prayer time, sending us off.

This morning I woke up to the happy realization that I had actually slept all the way through to 4:30 a.m., which is close enough to my normal time of rising to be a very good indication indeed.  I made my normal breakfast smoothie.  I took my vitamins.  I have come over to the church early, even though I have no responsibilities this morning, just to sort through the mound of paper (pictures and cards) produced by the children for me to pass on to their beloved sponsors. 

Just now, I spent a blissfully-quiet 45 minutes resuming my normal pattern of reading and meditation, sitting in my chair, with the candle on.  Felt good and life-giving to be drinking in deeply of the solitude and contemplation.  Soon the worship band will arrive and I will hear them warming up, preparing for the service that will happen later on.  It will be delightful to see all my Highview 'peeps' and be filled by our time of worshiping God together.  I absolutely love being taught by Bill Webb, and am grateful that I am not required to preach this morning.

After that I will go home and have my normal Sunday afternoon nap.  Then spend the evening quietly with my generous husband, all in the familiar sweetness of all the things I love about my life.

And it's all going amazingly well this time.

Until just about a minute ago when I received a voice message via Facebook.  Suradet has figured out how to do that on his phone.   Unwittingly, I press play.  And for a long and heart-sore 17 seconds, the normalcy is gone.

Thai Sunrise

He's speaking Thai and just the sound of the language and the sound of his voice catches me back to the place where everything is so sensationally not normal.   He asks if Canada is cold?  He says that all the children are missing us and thinking of Ken as well (whom he calls 'father Ken').  He thanks God and ends with 'God bless you.'

I don't mind the tears.  I know they are witness to the beauty of the bond God has allowed to form between us.  I know they are part of the cost of loving like you won't get hurt, but you do, and it does.  And I know the normalcy will return in it's own time.

Body, mind, soul.  That's the order of it.  That's how we come back.  And it's happening easily and happily this time....mostly :).