It’s funny how the sounds of home are the same (or maybe just similar) no matter the location…

roosters crow, birds chirp, water runs, shoes are dusted, babies cry and life moves along.

This morning as I heard the sounds of daybreak, I knelt and with my Islamic brethren at the sound of their prayers and joined my prayers to theirs; my body not yet accustomed to the sound and my heart and memory not recognizing the direction of my sacred space I looked upward (though I know God is everywhere) and hoped my body pointed towards mi islita, my rich port…my prayers joined in welcoming the morning.

As I sit around my new home I probably seem strange to those around me, trying in my own way to come to grips with this new reality.  Those who know me understand that I am a creature of habit, and for so many years my habit has been to awaken by 7, leave the house by 730, jump in my car as I sip on my wake-up cup of coffee-fresh brewed in my coffee press, prepped the night before.  I worked my hours, greeted my coworkers, turned on my computer and did what I did…the day ended and I jumped in my car, ran my errands, texted my friends, facebook-ed, played games on my phone.  And in the midst of all the chaos, God was.  Just.  Loving.  A staple in my diet.

And today as I sit and look and listen and become acclimated to my new reality I realize that it has been many years since last I was able to sit still and be.  To sit still and read the Bible in the morning without the rush and chaos.

To sit and eat my fruits under a tree surrounded by unknown words that I don’t understand and still, God is.  Just.  Loving.  A staple in my diet.

Beauty to behold.  Treasure to keep near and dear.  God is present with me in every moment of every day.

And if today I don’t make it much further than this patio that’s okay!

I got weird looks when I chose my room, I didn’t pick the one with the gorgeous day bed and decorations.  Or the large one with the great big bathroom.  They each have their beauty and their porches, but mine is the best one…the smaller one…the simple one…the one with the porch that faces the rear of the house.  The one that has connecting walkways to three other porches.  The one that has a view of the trees and the traditional yard.  The one that has views of four other yards and from which I can hear all kinds of new sounds.  I wish I could record them and single out the individual noises heard throughout.  I realize it may seem strange, but all I keep thinking is that this is the gift God had in store for me when I finally said, yes.

 

Sounds: prayers, bells, birds, motorcycles, hammering, leaves, dog panting, sweeping, kitchen work, laughter, and sometimes, at night, the sound of Indonesian telenovelas!  Sigh.  Home.  Trust God!