Reflections in my mind
of the echoes in my heart,
memories of a life lived
in search of a Kingdom
paint a mosaic menagerie,
weave a tapestry of joy and pain and grace.
From castles tall to shattered slums,
children’s giggles to wails of anguish,
through desert and valley to mountain summit,
rain forest to high Himalayan peak
I’m seeking in the creation’s eyes
reflections of the Creator’s love.
Eternal years flash by,
crushing pain and shattered heart
form my soul,
teach me to let go,
yet joyous friendships encourage the heart,
and the love of a Father holds me tight.
Children’s laughter, birds’ melodies,
thunders’ crackings, winds’ swooshings,
cats’ meowings, waterfalls’ cacophonies,
and in the silence of snow
I seek the voice of the Divine.
Copper pennies and silver dimes
thunking on countertop,
fists clenched with lemonheads and sweeTarts
that fuel bicycle adventures
along small town streets and country paths.
Silver dungchen* bassooning,
copper bells tinkling on snowy path,
heart clutching expectancy and dreams
that fuel high altitude adventures
among ears who’ve never heard.
Honey, ginger, lemon tea
sipped in Himalayan sunlight
waiting for migraine’s blindness to pass
Steamy, creamy cappuccino
sipped under balcony roof
waiting for monsoon deluge to pass
Maroon broth with crispy pork belly
echoes murmurings of searching
from maroon robes
lost in a soup of karma’s detachment.
Vermillion gravy with rice and curd
echoes ripplings of laughter
from joyful hearts,
friendship is shared in community’s bond.
A tiny voice with longing eyes says,
“Please, give me a crumb.”
He persists, I stare at my medianoche.**
I avoid his gaze, angry at him,
at the system, at the devil.
A frail mother, infant on hip says,
“Please, milk for my baby.”
She persists, annoyance turns into compassion.
I return her gaze with loving eyes
gifting her food and rupees for milk.
The shattered thump of a clay Bengali teacup
cast to the ground,
purpose complete (a weary sojourner’s longing thirst quenched)
echoes
the shattered longing of an earthen globe spinning,
longing, aching,
its purpose lost (thrown to the wind in the great betrayal)
waiting redemption, renewal, restoration.
Among the reflections of divine love, lessons learned but still far to go, a soul filled with echoing memories, longs for Eden lost and yearns for Paradise.
“The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.”
Psalms 19:1-4 NLT
“So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”
2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT
* A dungchen is a Tibetan horn measuring up to 16 feet long which emits a deep, mournful sound that has been compared to the singing of elephants.
** A medianoche is a type of Cuban sandwich made with a special bread and named “midnight” because it is often eaten late into the night.
- The Collapse
October 7, 2018. 7 years ago today I left India, so weak I struggled to even board a plane to Bangkok while keeping my possessions together. Passport, wallet, phone, backpack, carryon, passport, wallet, phone, backpack, carryon was my mantra until IContinue reading “The Collapse” - Let All Creation Praise
I was euphoric as two friends and I loaded our belongings onto the roof of a taxi that cool April morning. Dawn was breaking and it would be an incredibly gorgeous Himalayan day. I was embarking onto a new venture, oneContinue reading “Let All Creation Praise” - Winds of the Himalaya – Part 30
That One Time We Had to Build a Bridge to Get Home Lete was the last post in my journal. I am not sure why, likely because I was, after nearly two months, exhausted. Dates and such in this post willContinue reading “Winds of the Himalaya – Part 30” - Winds of the Himalaya – Part 29
Jomsom to Lete Saturday, July 14, 2001, was a long, hard day but the view was incredible and the trek was full of joy and laughter. We set out from Jomsom at 9:00 am. The first leg of our trek wasContinue reading “Winds of the Himalaya – Part 29” - Winds of the Himalaya – Part 28
Kagbeni to Muktinath After breakfast we headed north for the four-hour trek to Muktinath. That stretch is all uphill [Kagbeni – 9200 ft, (2804 m), Muktinath – 12,343 ft (3762 m)] but not so steep as I had expected. There, however,Continue reading “Winds of the Himalaya – Part 28” - Winds of the Himalaya – Part 27
Jomsom to Kagbeni The remainder of our group arrived in Jomsom at 7:30 am. After steamy fresh bread, yak butter, wild honey, eggs, and the ever present and luscious milk tea we began the walk to Kagbeni. Since we would returnContinue reading “Winds of the Himalaya – Part 27” - Winds of the Himalaya – Part 26
Kathmandu to Jomsom Monday, July 9, 2001, started early. The US team of sixteen representing five Alaskan churches, plus Robby and Leona and their Nepali team, and Pastor CB and his wife IB departed Kathmandu by bus at 7:00 am boundContinue reading “Winds of the Himalaya – Part 26” - Winds of the Himalaya – Part 25
Final Days in Kathmandu Sunday morning I awoke feeling better, just weak so I took the day to rest and recuperate. Dudley’s team arrived from California and I moved downstairs to a lovely guest room that Robby and Leona had builtContinue reading “Winds of the Himalaya – Part 25” - Winds of the Himalaya – Part 24
Tibetan Border Trip Friday morning, June 15, Valerie, Dudley, two Nepali friends, and me, with Mr. G. in the driver’s seat headed northeast towards Kodari on the border with Tibet, the same area I had visited with an Alaskan team justContinue reading “Winds of the Himalaya – Part 24” - Winds of the Himalaya – Part 23
Prayer at the Palace Before breakfast on Friday, June 8, I headed to Himalayan Ezra Institute on foot since it is an easily walkable distance from Robby and Leona’s house. It was a lovely walk and I was accompanied by allContinue reading “Winds of the Himalaya – Part 23”
Coffee, Tea, and Reverie 
Oh, Jackie. A masterpiece, given by the Master. I’ll never forget the story of “A tiny voice with longing eyes says,
“Please, give me a crumb / He persists, I stare at my medianoche”. It is indelibly on my heart. Thank you for being so, so brave!
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Thank you, Melanya! Your response means a lot to me!!! 💕
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Beautiful! I cried! I could feel it! Thank you for writing what I feel too! Love you! Faith
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Thank you, Faith. I am so happy you could relate!!!
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