Sometimes in Nicaragua we experience little things we'd never think in a million years we'd have to deal with. Funny story for example, yesterday a small group of us went running, which was a huge stress relief for me. However, we came to a point where a large cow was coming down the road from the opposite direction. I guess it wasn't used to seeing a group of "gringas" running for fun, and it either got startled or offended or something and started charging down the road towards us. Now this was a dirt road that had 10 foot walls of earth on the sides, so nowhere to go… pretty terrifying!
Thankfully we were far enough back that we could stop, and calmly (yet with hearts pounding) walk along the side of the road in a way that made this cow also calm down, and disregard us and go on its way. (So glad this worked! None of us had ever experienced a charging large animal while out on a run before!)
This is a lot like life. Not that charging bovine are an everyday life experience, but that we often rush through it; and if we don't recognize when its imperative to slow down we may find ourselves in rough or even dangerous situations (especially of indifference or apathy).
I feel blessed that Nicaragua is making me slow down; living life stripped of a lot of conveniences and living it for and in the moment, relationally and spiritually. Even in the short time here (hard to believe we're no even 2 weeks in!) I already feel like a lot of aspects of life which I need to slow own and appreciate; have been uncovered for me. This goes hand-in-hand with something I've heard over and over in my prayers recently: "This is to make you stronger." and I know that 'stronger' in this sense is synonymous with discipline in faith (especially the fruits of the spirit in Galatians 5:22). Along in this, there's so much more depth to the cliche 'appreciate the little things' than I've ever experienced.
"His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,
nor His delight in the legs of the warrior,
The Lord delights in those who fear Him,
who put their hope in His unfailing love"
-Psalm 147: 10-11
