Slice of Life Tuesdays #190430

This is not my story, although I’m sharing it.
It is not my daughter-in-law’s story, although she told it.
It is the story of people I have not met, people with a song.

I.
Inspiration to share this Story
On Sunday, I visited Kiesha Shepard at “Whispers from the Ridge.” I gazed for a while at her wonderful photograph of a purple martin in song and read her beautiful haiku.

Heart Song
gladness fills the soul
sing of love and hope once more
a heart song of joy
-Kiesha Shepard

I read Kiesha’s hope:
“He [the purple martin] shares his song with an open heart for all the world to hear. My hope is that we all continue singing our heart song to share the love within. When we do, we spread the pure joy that lives inside of us.”

Her words touched my heart and brought to mind an experience Jacky shared with me a few years ago.

II.
The people in this Story
Steve and Jacky make their home in Ecuador and minister throughout Latin America. In the summer of 2016, they visited us for several weeks, then leaving their three children to spend extra weeks with us, they traveled to Beirut, Lebanon, to share a KIDStory conference for several dozen Christian men and women from Syria, men and women wanting to more effectively reach children with the love of Jesus.

During the conference, these men and women shared how they had traveled across perilous miles. They told how they had arisen early in the morning in order to pass through a no man’s zone immediately after minesweeping made it safe from mines planted during the night. They told how they had driven the long stretch at speeds in excess of 100 mph. They praised God that they had safely passed through that barrier of death.

All knew the dark sorrow of war. Life was filled with hardships and constantly unsafe. Many they knew had fled. Their cities, their homes destroyed. Loved ones maimed and killed. The year 2016 was one of the deadliest on record, especially for children.

After the conference, they would return, driving the deadly highway again, back to their life under war. When asked why they, as Christians suffering the most direct onslaught, did not flee, they answered with a question, If we leave, who will share the love of Christ with those who cannot flee?

III.
The Story
My daughter-in-law told me —

It was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever witnessed.

They sing everywhere. They just break out in spontaneous singing. When they walk from their rooms to breakfast in the morning in pairs or small groups, they sing. When they leave a conference session, they sing. During the breaks, they sing. In the evening, when it is twilight, I hear them singing.

It is so beautiful.
Their songs are beautiful.
Their voices are beautiful.

I do not know the words of their songs, but there’s joy and peace. I can feel it. It is the most uplifting thing I’ve ever heard. There they are— living in the midst of horrible circumstances, under constant terror, experiencing great sorrow, yet filled with joy and peace and love.

I marvel that they sing such songs in this their darkest night.

Such joy, peace, love — they give to all of us in their songs.

IV.
May there be a song in your Story
And so, today, I ponder Kiesha’s words again and they become mine.

“[They shared their] song with an open heart for all the world to hear. My hope is that we all continue singing our heart song to share the love within. When we do, we spread the pure joy that lives inside of us.”

{Thank you, Kiesha, for these words.}

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I’m so glad you visited today,
and I do enjoy hearing from you!
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