Prologue

I am in a place I remember being some time ago…in more ways than one. Besides the obvious physical factor in being in the Philippines before and being here again now, a similarity much more prominent is weighing on me. The combination of the lifestyle of this culture and the lifestyle of this ministry, so much is going on always. Always moving, always busy, always changing, always adapting. Merging back into all of this took and is still taking a lot of trust. It is a constant pursuit of a constant focus in order to attain only the surface of this unnatural action called trust…or surrender. I find overprotective guards up in places unexpectedly protected and unexpected exposure to powerful vulnerabilities.
Clarity unfortunately is not a pledged constant. Courage is frighteningly much more than deciding to go. The beautiful promise of victory isn’t ease during inevitable battle.
Times like these make me wish I were a singer/songwriter. I feel being that would then somehow allow me to get it all out. The whole process is real and raw and fascinating. Experiencing the initial inspiration. Interpreting the inspiration poetically, lyrically, and musically. Working through the strife of rewriting, rewording, re-noting. Only letting hope and faith and belief in the inspiration uphold the melody. And finally, singing your heart out singing your song out with the passion in your voice supporting every purely composed lyric. The magical blend of a deeply personal journey and sharing the glory of it all.
I want to and will talk all about the Philippines…but I haven’t set my focus yet enough to. I haven’t figured out how to interpret this inspiration. In this place before, I fought redundancy always. The same words itched to surface; making sense in everything, encompassing whatever idea.
Cling. Truth. Journey. Revel. Glory. Story. Song.
Looking forward to the many tales sure to come from here and everywhere, honored and newly humbled every time, I draw back and hold tight to the inspiration.
Cling to the truth in the story of this journey and revel in the glory of the song it is writing.
His grace is sufficient, his glory is everywhere.
In clarity and in mystery. In courage and in terror. In victories and in battles.
Always and forever.