"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Isreal shall never slumber nor sleep..."Psalm 121:1-4
It has been another week here in Ecuador...and it has been a month since I have been here in this place. This week has been busier than the first three but I feel like I am finally getting acclimated to the city and to classes. I finally feel like I am doing life here.
This week has been filled with so many great conversations. I plan on doing several exciting things while I am here, however, I feel like I will remember the conversations more. The topics discussed roll over in my mind. Faces still seem to appear when I think back on my day. These are the things I am remembering the most. Who would have thought that I would be sitting next to an ex-gang member on the bus and talking to him about why he had to get out of the gang and how his life was here in Ecuador. Who would have thought that I would be receiving wise advice regarding my upcoming marriage from a woman I talked with on the bus ride to school. And who would have thought that I would spend two hours at the small breakfast table of the apartment talking about the marvelous hand of God, how gracious it was even during hard times, and how glorious it is to daily walk with Him. Who would have thought...
When I tell Jon what wild things I would like to do in Ecuador (like summitting a mountain with ice-picks or going piranha fishing in the jungle), he jokes that I am only here for the experience and that I am his little daredevil. However, the things I want to do most are to sit and talk with people, to hear about their lives... Those "experiences" mean more to me but, often, they take more guts than trying to summit a mountain. They take stepping out of my own little world and into a world of being willing to listen and share with others. These experiences take more boldness for one like me. But they always bring the most amazing result, humility.
We journey to El Panecillo today. This is a hill in the center of Quito that is said to have been there for ages. On the top of this hill is a huge statue of the Virgin who looks over and guards the city below. As I stood beneath her and looked for myself at the vastness of this city, I thought of the One who guards me...the One who has watched over me for my entire life and this past month. This month has not been easy; in fact, it has been one of the hardest of my life. But the Lord has ordained and orchestrated all that has happened. He has watched over me. I am overcome with praise for Him, my Keeper.
As I lay my head down at night and listen to the sounds of the city, I am reminded that I need sleep because I am not self-sufficient and that I am in desperate need of God's grace. Yet, I am so glad that I have an all-sufficient Provider. He is what satisfies.
"He that keepeth thee will not slumber..."
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