Waterfalls

 Turtleback Falls                                                              Rainbow Falls
(Photos courtesy of Romanticasheville.com)

Hey from Rock Hill, South Carolina, ya'll! We have spent the weekend with my dear friend Beth, and it has been amazing. Even just the way that Beth and I met makes my heart smile. The first summer I was in Honduras, she came with a team from her church, and we immediately hit it off and have kept in contact since then. She has been such an encouragement to me in the two years I've known her, and she has the sweetest spirit. She is the kind of person who is so comfortable with who she is that she puts everyone at ease. I love how easy it is to be real with Beth. I was also so blessed by the welcome she gave us along with her parents and fiancé (who I also met in Honduras previously). We instantly felt like family which is exactly how I love to feel in anyone's home.

Yesterday we went to Hendersonville, North Carolina and had lunch and enjoyed the lovely, artsy town. We ate the best sushi I've had in my life and topped it off with ice cream. Gabrielle and I had talked earlier about how we wanted yesterday to be kind of a date with God, and so it was. It was such a blessed day with beautiful weather and sweet wonders everywhere we went. After Hendersonville, we headed to Gorges State Park to play in some amazing waterfalls. I have come to absolutely love waterfalls especially since it seems that I encounter them frequently in my travels starting with Pulhapanzak Falls in Honduras and continuing with Dunns River Falls in Jamaica. When things reoccur in my life, I tend to think that these themes are leading me to some kind of a God-given lesson. So, yesterday, I started asking God what the lesson was in the waterfalls.

After a nice hike to Turtleback Falls, we were able to head into the cold water with slippery rocks to scale the rock up to the falls using a rope tied to a tree. After reaching the top, it's possible to slide down the slippery rocks of the waterfall just like a natural waterslide into the pool below. It is such great fun, and if you ever have the chance to visit, you should! After sliding down Turtleback Falls, we headed to Rainbow Falls originally with the intention of jumping off of a big rock into the water near the bottom of the falls, but after much adventurous climbing, we never really found a route to the big rock. It was enjoyable anyway, though, to just stand at the foot of the falls feeling the thunderous breath of God sweeping from the pressure of the water. It was so beautiful.

As I was climbing up Turtleback, I felt like I received the answer about the lesson in the waterfalls--just in two simple words, blind faith. In every waterfall I've interacted with, there has been an element of blind faith--be it climbing when there is nothing but a dark hole above me or feeling my way around slippery rocks I cannot see. There has also always been some element of teamwork and trust with other people--usually it's necessary to hold hands with someone else to withstand a current or to extend a helping hand in climbing. I think my experiences with waterfalls are good reflections of a Christian life. It is absolutely necessary to take risks in order to experience the rewards of the kingdom. I wouldn't trade my waterfall experiences for anything simply because they have challenged me and boosted my faith in small measures. I also wouldn't trade the togetherness of sharing those experiences with someone else, depending on others.

I think the water of waterfalls also reflects the kind of power that God wants His church to have. Waterfalls have immense power--when the water is unified, it can erode away the hardest of rocks over time. The water in waterfalls merely fulfills its God-given purpose and follows the course of gravity. There are time when that water is gushing forward with immense pressure and others when it collects in restful pools. But, one thing is for certain--the water is always moving. His church should always be moving as well.

Today, we went to Tirzah ARP Church with Beth and her fiancé, Chris. It was nice to meet a few people who share my connection with Honduras and who know the people that I know there. It also blessed my heart to hear the needs of Manos Extendidas shared with the congregation. The message all throughout the service echoed God's lessons yesterday of faith and trusting God even when we can't see. Through various outlets, I felt confidently that God does intend for us to leave today and that we are merely to listen as we go for our next destination. I have no idea where it is right now. But, I trust Him.

I have so greatly enjoyed my time with Beth, Chris, Beth's parents, and Chris' kids. The warmth of their hearts was such a display of Christ's love that I feel so close to all of them. Their generosity and sweetness of spirit has blessed me more than I can express. I pray that God would grant each one of them more of Himself and that He'd be in the midst always.

Until next time,
Sarah (or Cricket, as Beth calls me)