You know, I've heard that song from the popular Broadway musical, but never really looked up the song lyrics before until now. Looking at some of the things said, it's quite true to our new life. Let me share with you:
"In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee.
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes.
How do you measure a year in the life?"
We've spent many days here already, seen the sunset on the beautiful beach, stayed up past midnight studying Arabic and have had countless cups of coffee with new friends.
Our girls have grown several inches, we've traveled miles from our homeland, shared laughter and tears with our teammates.
We've definitely been blessed this past year. We've been challenged We have grown. We've been stressed. We've learned (and are still learning) a new language. We have traveled and seen new sights we never before thought we would see. We've had countless Skype and FaceTime conversations. We've made new friends. We've faced trials we didn't expect. We've experienced culture shock and culture exhaustion. We've had several stamps in our
passports. We've spent hours in prayer for the lostness around us.
But how do you measure a year in your life?
How about love?
Matthew 22:36-40
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”
Have I loved God with all my heart, soul and mind? Have I loved my neighbor? I can think of times that I have, and I can think of times that I haven't. So that's how I should measure my year. And this year, I will strive, with more of my heart, soul and mind, to love more than I did the year before.
