Blue Skies Ahead

I just noticed this blog post I had  written in early August, saved in my drafts. I've been away from home for several weeks, and just noticed it again.  Now it's nearing the end of August and this post is a reminder to me that YES, things can change and YES,  there really IS hope for better days ahead. We may have to wait longer than we wish and we won't know how the 'in between' will look. But wow, blue skies are so amazing, aren't they? This pic was taken today. 

August 3/21

The skies in our part of the province are smoky, especially in our city. There's beautiful blue expanse way up high above this blanket of grey, ashy cloud. But from down here, we see and smell smoke. Too often, we have taken fresh, clean air for granted. One day there was blue sky, and then there wasn't. We are walking through a haze and in a daze. There are risks to living in this fog, and we must come to terms with that, protecting ourselves and others as much as possible from its harm. The world we want to enjoy and share seems to be evading us. And we must accept it until relief comes --  healing rain falls, the fires are extinguished, and the cooler weather returns. 

Truth, like those magnificent, clear skies, is often hidden.  Reality is covered up.  Truth is always there,  but we have to strain to see it. Sometimes the blanket of untruth covers the skies, then clears for a time, and we experience clarity, what's really there. The blue is then SO MUCH bluer than we remember! We drink in the beauty of it. All who open their eyes can see it. We want everyone to experience it.  It's comforting to know it's always there, even when hidden by dark clouds.

To breathe deeply and fully. To feel that all is well once again. That is what my heart wants. 

 Who can we really trust? Who is telling the truth? Can we know?  

The mistrust and misleading going on  is a sad and unsettling commentary on our times. 

Some days are harder to feel hopeful than others. 

But, there IS always hope, thankfully.  We will know the truth, and it will set us free. 

Today the skies are a little less smoky than in the past week. Yay! 

Book Review: Farewell Four Waters

Kidnapping was Marie's worst fear. She didn't know treachery was more deadly.

Book recommendation coming up. Farewell Four Waters by Kate McCord (a protective pseudonym), is full of intrigue and emotion. Although security prohibits the telling of her exact story, this novel is drawn from events gathered across Afghanistan over several years.

Marie is an aid worker living in a small town in Afghanistan. Her mission is to set up literacy classes for women.  This riveting story begins with Day 14 and then counts down the days leading to this brave woman's necessary escape from Afghanistan, a place she deeply loved and considered home.

This story is full of many details and excellent descriptions of life in this country  - for both Christian aid workers in NGOs and for the Afghan people. I felt as if I were there every step of the way. Marie, a believer in the "Honorable Jesus Messiah", has a passion for bettering the lives of women in Afghanistan, and with deep respect for their customs and beliefs, she befriends them through loving deeds and conversations.

I especially appreciated her honest struggles related to the events and circumstances she experienced. She incorporated conversation with God through journaling and prayers, not hiding her frustrations and how hard it was to make sense of things at times. Where was Jesus in the middle of all of it?  I also loved learning about this land and culture and what life is like for foreign aid workers.

This book drew me in and it never let up until I finished the last page. It is well worth the read!

I'm really looking forward to reading Kate McCord's first book In the Land of the Blue Burquas. Another book to request at the library!

Thanks to Moody Publishers who sent me this book for free in exchange for an honest review.