(The next few blogs will be from Togo. They were written several days ago, so they will all open with the date)
May 7, 2009
How odd to think that two weeks ago I had no idea I would be sitting here on this blue carpet in humid Dallas, my books scattered around me, my electronic devices sucking up their last bit of US electricity, waiting for my flight to Paris to board.
I feel like I haven’t had a chance to process the fact that I will soon be in Togo, a country few of my friends and family had even heard of a few days ago. Today, right now, it finally feels real. Real enough to leave my stomach in knots. Real enough for me to send a flurry of text messages to loved ones, just in case.
What will Togo hold? Who will I meet there? What will I learn? What will I bring back with me? What will I leave behind?
Today, on my flight from Colorado to Texas, I felt prayers bubble up, and I felt such guilt. Why hadn’t I prayed earlier? They were frightened prayers—for safety, health and energy. They were jumbled, a little frantic.
But now, in this crowded airport, with the voices of competing gate agents rattling around me, I feel somewhat calmer. I am reminded that perfect love is, right now, battling my fears.
So I will close this with different prayers. Ones for a fearless heart and a quiet spirit.
And I’m throwing in a few for safety and health, for good measure!
