Thoughts From a 3 AM Thursday Tea Time

This is not my usual writing hour. Then again, this is not my usual writing room, or even my usual writing state. Of all the places I have written, I don't think this is one. I don't want to give too much away, but I am in the state between CA and WA. How I ended up here is a funny story. (Not really; Persnicketta and I drove here.) She will be taking me to the airport in a few hours, after the sun comes up. First, we decided we will stop at Powell's City of Books in Portland. I am staying at Persnicketta's parents' home. P's fun mom took us to a great little Thai restaurant for lunch yesterday. We came home and watched a couple episodes of the old Bill Cosby Show-the one where he plays a high school P.E. teacher named Chet Kincaid. Towards evening, Persnicketta and I walked into town. I'm sure we walked 3 miles, and we would've walked further were it not for the ominous clouds overhead.

I'm looking forward, not so much to getting home, but to being home, with Mr.M and Rufus. I'll be glad to get back to my element, in my comfortable routine. I have Survivors' tomorrow night, an end-of-term party for the college kids who survived their final exams. It's the last big hurrah before many of the kids go home for summer. College ministry is unique in this: the flux, the ebb and flow of kids coming in and going out like the tide. Not all the kids go home; a lot of them go on short term missions trips. We have kids going to India, Japan, Honduras. Mr.M and I have good friends in Russia, Asia, The Czech Republic, Malawi. One of my best friends is ministering to children in an orphanage in Mexico. I have family teaching at a missions school in Indonesia. Depending on how broadly you define ministry, you might say I went on a super short missions trip to Oregon to keep Persnicketta company on the long drive. It goes both ways, as Persnicketta ministered much to me in the two days we spent on the road, laughing, singing, crying. (We both laughed, she sang, I cried . . . not because of her singing.) I am so thankful to have been allowed this opportunity to make memories with Persnicketta and her family, and to solidify our friendship. I am glad to have been able to see Persnicketta arrive at her family's home for a much-needed vacation. It was also a much-needed vacation for me, very cathartic and cleansing. I will go home feeling refreshed, renewed and better able to face the challenges in my life. It is my fervent prayer and confident hope that Persnicketta will feel the same way. How good God is to revive our souls and give us times of refreshing and renewal. He has again restored the joy of my salvation.