Cambio

Once when I was leading the EMS (Emergency Medical Services)  system for our County I came into the office and a big sign had been posted on the door by one of the EMT´s. It said, ¨the only person who likes change is a wet diaper.¨  (I am working from a spanish keyboard so excuse any loss of punctuation). Maybe it is obvious that I, as leader, had just initiated a change.  Thankfully we worked under an environment of great respect and fun so although the sign made me mad, it also made me laugh…because it is TRUE! It helped that the person who did it was a former partner on the ambulance and a dear friend!

So it IS true and in fact, I am surprised when even good change feels uncomfortable. I am a change agent. And even change agents take a deep breath when we see it coming….uh oh…there is going to be a change!  In Gautemala, my experience is that change happens at least five to ten times a day.  We begin with one plan…we morph quickly into another…and another…and another.  But in the end, I am finding that it all works out for the best.  Margaret Wheatley is an author I respect. I think it was her writing that first suggested to me that we need to be like water…strong, ever changing, ever adjusting and free to navigate around all that we encounter as we flow faithfully and boldly along.  I like the thought of being like water.

I wonder if Jesus was saying something like that when he spoke of the ¨Living water¨?  Living water never runs dry. Living water doesn´t worry about the rocks it encounters…in fact the rocks are transformed from the faithful persisitence of the water´s flow.  Living water never asks you to return over and over again because it is consistently abundant.  Hmmmmm…..

Today I have landed in Xela on my way to a camp north of Chichicastenango. Doris (the VIM Coordinator of Guatemala) has arranged for meet to have an early meeting with the children of Quiche, and an afternoon meeting with the children of all other areas.  These are children that people from our church have ¨sponsored¨.   This means a financial commitment has been made to keep a child in school this year.  One of the children that is receiving a scholarship wrote a thank you note into my journal yesterday so I can share it with the couple who sponsored him.  In the note, the spanish word used is ¨godfather¨. ….¨thank you for being my godfather.¨ That word scared me when I read it…what does this mean?? I asked Julia, our translator.  I learned..this means you care enough about me to provide a way for my future this year.  How humbling is that?

So many people have been ¨godfather or godmother¨ to me in some way during my life.  I pray that every child always has a sense that someone (parents, other family members, friends, SS teachers, whomever!) cares enough about their future to offer a prayer of hope, a word of encouragement, or even something like a ¨scholarship¨ when the need arises.

Cambio….change. Let it be. And let me be like water.  And if that can be living water…I am on my knees giving thanks.