Life Cycles

I have become so very aware lately of the normal cycles of life. Very simply put, we each have a beginning, middle, and an end. However, as we all know, life is far from simple. Each cycle buffets us with its own drama.

A few weeks ago I sent you a photo of a venerable old couple who live in the remote mountain village of La Navidad. What dramas have they experienced in their lives? Their wizened yet peaceful faces and bent, frail bodies give us a hint and cause us to wonder and imagine what storms have they weathered? What joys have sweetened their days?

Last week I met another resident of the same village of La Navidad. Her name is Belinda. She is a twin. She is one month old and weighs 3 lbs. I took the attached photo of her in the hospital in Coban where she is being treated for malnutrition and an infection. When our new nurse, Rafael, discovered her at home, her little head was covered with a smear of something very foul-smelling. Her mother explained to Rafael that Belinda had been cursed by witchcraft. The stinky goop on her head was an antidote recommended by the local Mayan “curandero” or witch doctor. Meanwhile, because Belinda’s twin brother was thriving on mother’s milk and leaving little for her, Belinda was being fed cornstarch water.

Will Belinda survive the “drama” of this rocky beginning of her young life? If so, what drama will come with the middle bit of her life?

Bill and I are moving into the beginning of the end cycle of our lives. It is very difficult for me to even write this. The transition does not feel comfortable at all! We are faced with less DOING and more BEING. Our challenge is to be at peace with this and rest in the assurance that God loves us and has got us in His hands.

God is Love and I know that He has little Belinda in His hands as well.