Real Life.

Flowing from some significant and not-so-significant conversations this past week, my thoughts are running along the rail ties of the daily commute.

That is to say, life is life.

“Is this the real life?...”

(Aside—one of my students put “Bohemian Rhapsody” in the big bowl game and no one else knew what it was haha)

Yes. This is it.

During college, I would get frustrated when people talked in eager tones about the ever-elusive “real life,” and was often encouraged by the reminder from my youth pastor that youth are not only “the future” of our world, a country or the Church, but an active part.

A body with many members.

A child is still a person, evidenced by nuggets of perspective or wisdom uttered unassumingly by a little one as well as moments of stubborn pride in an obstinate child.

Even so, this last week, I have had quite a few moments of clarity and confusion in pondering what it means that this is my life now. for now. Seasons change, seguro, but we settle in to the rhythm and rock of the daily grind. And this is good. And there was evening, and there was morning, the next day.

People may expect a foreigner to have endless adventure and discovery and luxury when abroad.

That is ridiculous.

No, you’re not crazy if you thought that, many people, especially Westerners, do travel in luxury and style, but we’re kidding ourselves if we forget the messiness of real life, of relationship, community, communication etc.

My life on a given “boring” day consists of waking tempranisimo—as in 5 am—to the birds and the bus and the sun peaking up over the mountains. I make coffee for my roommate and for me, get ready, head over to school for devotions, muddle through the craziness of middle school ups and downs, have a meeting or substitute teach, head home, walk to town or go on a run, do some grading or planning, waste time on facebook, make dinner with Kate, skype a friend, wind down, get ready for bed, read a bit, say goodnight to Jesus and the barking dogs and it starts over again. I don’t even have super thrilling plans for vacation; I’m trying to get the regular life part down.
Asi es la vida, verdad? (Such is life, right?)

With that, I have also been reminded of the beauty of simple gratitude and how much easier it is to complain or become impatient or return to our same old habits or sins. Fruit like patience takes time to ripen and mature, and it won’t be what everyone is clamoring after, but it is so sweet, delightful and worth the wait.

Sometimes life is waiting.

Think about all that goes into farming or simple gardening before the fruit gets harvested. We all have to put in our time in the small things and we just grow so impatient! Many jobs are hard work and thankless in nature, but it doesn’t mean that they’re not worth their while.

Life has a lot to do with waiting.

That’s what the erratic bus schedule or long lines at the grocery store have been reminding me lately. I grow weary, but I shouldn’t!

Even then I am remembering (sometimes) to give thanks. I’m learning to stop and breath in and out, whisper a prayer, in the mundane and the insane.

--both when my students are getting noisier and driving me crazy and when they are catching onto new concepts or making me smile.

--when I’d rather rush and stuff food in my face and panic over procrastination as well as when I take my time to enjoy the delicious delight of fresh coconut chunks in my ice cream from the hole-in-the-wall vendor. 

“Love him in the morning when you see the sun arising. Love him in the evening ‘cause he took you through the day. In the in-between times when you feel the pressure coming, remember that he loves you and he promises to stay. When you think you’ve got to worry, because it seems the thing to do. Remember, he ain’t in a hurry. He’s always got time for you, so love him in the morning…”

Planning, tilling, plowing, planting…