Anybody who has ever complained that the weather in North
Carolina is too temperamental has obviously never been to North Dakota. This
week began with days full of cold air, blustery winds, and incessant rain. I
informed my coworkers, most of whom are from Montana and North Dakota and thus
described such weather as a wet spring day, that this was, in fact, a cold
winter’s day and had no place in late May. By the weekend, however, the skies
had shed the layers upon layers of clouds and turned a brilliant shade of blue
that is just shy of being as gorgeous as the cloudless sky that sometimes sits
above the land of the pines.
The weather, though, has not been the only thing to change
dramatically this week. Susan began her job (which is really two jobs) at the
historic Von Hoffman house in town and the gift shop at the Medora Musical, the
latter of which requires her to work until 11:00 a few nights a week. For a
woman who needs much sleep, and for the husband that lives in a 32’ RV with
her, this will require some adjustment, and your prayers are appreciated.
However, this has been the only hiccup of our whole adventure to this point.
Everything else, from the flawless trip to our excellent team to the kindness
of everyone we have met, has shown us clearly that this is where God wants us
to be, and it is here that we will stay, and work, and be faithful.
In spite of the fact that we are both now working 40+ hours
each week, we have found time to spend together. Last Sunday, we drove to Wind
Canyon, a place along the scenic loop through the Theodore Roosevelt National
Park, to watch the sunset. Although we missed it by a few minutes, the sun,
which had just crept below the high buttes that jut against the horizon, was
still casting magnificent colors across the whole sky. In those moments of
sheer, unadulterated beauty, God’s presence is palpable, and, for me anyway, it
is a refreshment that confirms that rightness of our work here this summer.
Aside from our adventures as a couple, our team has begun to
have deep and intimate conversations with each other about the real issues that
are confronting the church today. If there is one thing that I can already say
for sure, it is that we are all different. Even among the five member of our
team, we hold different interpretations of scripture regarding the role of
women, spirituality, homosexuality, and, as I’m sure we’ll discover later, many
other things. Nevertheless, this has not hindered us in the slightest. If
anything, it has brought us closer together. Personally, I find it
exceptionally encouraging that a group of people with such different
interpretations of scripture are able to work together to faithfully represent
and live out the multifaceted love of Christ in a place that is in such
desperate need of it.
Finally, I played my first round of golf this past week.
Three of us played a round of best ball, which, I learned, is where each player
hits their next shot from the ball that landed closest to the pin after the
last shot. Despite the several balls that I sent rocketing off into the native
grass, I managed to have a couple of good shots. However, if I had been playing
based on my shots alone, I would probably still be chasing a ball around the
seventh fairway. In the end, the three of us managed to shoot a respectable
seven over par. As I reflect on this, I cannot help but think of the words of Ecclesiastes:
A three-stranded cord is not easily broken. I needed the good shots of my
coworkers, and, though rarely, they needed mine. Together, we are much stronger
than we are apart. May we all seek out friends to carry us through those places
where we cannot carry ourselves, and may we carry our friends through those
places where they cannot carry themselves.
May the peace of Christ reign among us all,
Lane & Susan
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