February 17, 2006 | Mama Smith

the fragrance

It’s a dreary February morning. The snow is disappearing under the warm drops of rain. We’re hunkering down with some mugs of coffee and lots of work to do – support raising and web designing for Matthew and house cleaning and Brighton duty for myself. I’ve been out of the blogging loop with my parents being in town these past few days. My dad is speaking at Westminster this morning about missions and Christ’s call of this being infused into our lives as a whole, rather than just a side-section of it. We’ve loved having them here, even for this short bit of time. To be able to dream together and share our hopes for missions and the work God is doing in their lives and our own.

Last night, over a table of wine and spread of food, Matthew and I felt our hearts coming alive again as we talked about this call on our hearts to head overseas in a few years. I feel like this is a part of how Christ has knit me together that’s kind of gone AWOL with the whirlwind of getting married, finding out we’re pregnant, adjusting to life with a little one. Being able to dig into that part of my heart again and realize again how God has hooked me up was exciting.

I think for Matthew and I, this whole thing was sparked over our Valentine’s meal out. He had brought the album of letters/emails I compiled for our first Christmas together of all our coorespondence those early months of meeting, falling in love, getting engaged and married, for us to re-read through. It was hilarious to read some of our thoughts, but also invigorating for our hearts to remember who we are down inside these tired, overwhelmed, busy bodies.

I was heading to Ireland for a four year term, when Matthew and I met. He was wrestling with where God might be calling him in missions after he graduated. We are so grateful for these years of being in the states, adjusting to married life, parenthood and seeing Christ at work in our community right here, but we’re understanding more how these years are preparation and how Christ knits all our hearts together in different ways, with different desires and passions, and ours is for lost overseas. It was exciting to remember and feel the power of the call again on our hearts.

It gives me energy to stop, as I’m running out to do an errand, and talk to our neighbor and her son who has cerebal palsy. Or walk across the street and say hi to Marcie & her 2 year old daughter, Olivia. WHY are those simple things so hard to do? Why is it so much easier to hole up in my house, in my life, in my schedule and breeze through my day without interacting with anyone? Overseas living is no different, so I’ve heard. The mission field is here, as much as it’s there. Christ is breaking into the falleness of lives all over the world. We’re honored to be apart of what He’s doing here in Philadelphia for these few years, and hopefully what He is doing overseas in the years to come.

We’re thankful for His fragrance that swept into our tired, frantic household with this visit from my parents. The Body really is a beautiful gift – fighting for others and feeling fought for yourselves as we seek to remember together over and over when life attempts to knock us blindsided with amnesia again.