This afternoon was terrifying! I lost Isaiah. I feel exhausted from the intensity of it, so I don't know how deep or articulate anything I write will be, but as we are now all safe at home together, I can't help trying to express how incredibly grateful I am.
First off, while we obviously have some things to work out with Isaiah (long story short, he ran ahead of us and ran all the way back to our house--about a mile in total), on one hand, I feel grateful that a kid who was scared of so much when we moved here and has gone through seasons of feeling almost unable to deal with navigating life here, he seems to have some sort of crazy comfort and confidence in this place...HIS place.
Secondly, I am thankful for Nepal tonight. There are certainly kind strangers in America, but you often see something go viral when there is a story of one person going out of their way to help a stranger. Tonight, I was reminded of how people don't operate in isolation here culturally. The shift can take some adjusting, but tonight, as I was quite quickly surrounded by a crowd of strangers, genuinely determined to help, I couldn't help be struck by this amazing aspect of this culture. A man we have never seen telling my Dad to hop on the back of his motorcycle to drive up and down the road looking for our son. Older kids and ladies scrambling to ask all around and search the area around us. Several people pulling out phones and coordinating calling the police. Not one, not two, but many, many people stopping to help.
And, last, but perhaps most significant to me, is my family, and by that, I mean not only my biological family but our "extended family" at CloudFactory! My parents were with me, and I am so incredibly thankful for that! Don't know that I would have ended up sane through any of it without them. But, I have not, since high school, lived in the same town as my parents. Since finishing college, I have lived quite far, and now, I live on the other side of the world. God has always graciously provided beautiful community for us, and tonight was, in the midst of a horrifying experience, an incredible picture of what He has blessed us with here. It didn't even register what was going on at first, as I walked back to the group of people that had gathered, within a few minutes of calling John at the office, and I saw a familiar face. And, then another. And another. And, taking a few minutes to connect, I got a call from John that he had found Isaiah at home, and I realized that this huge group from the office had come specifically to look for our son! They dropped what they were doing and instantly came to our aid. Maybe you have that with your closest friend in the States? Or, maybe a few? But, literally, dozens of our friends were there, surrounding us. Even after knowing Isaiah was found, some came back to our home to see him and just see and connect that he was ok. That is not what just a co-worker, or even most friends, do. That is what family does.
While I sit here tonight, exhausted but running it all back through my mind, words seem so inadequate to express the great gratitude I have. I am SO thankful that my son is OK (though, if you see him on a leash, don't be surprised!)! And, I am thankful for the amazing and very humbling display of the great blessings of people who surround us here!
First off, while we obviously have some things to work out with Isaiah (long story short, he ran ahead of us and ran all the way back to our house--about a mile in total), on one hand, I feel grateful that a kid who was scared of so much when we moved here and has gone through seasons of feeling almost unable to deal with navigating life here, he seems to have some sort of crazy comfort and confidence in this place...HIS place.
Secondly, I am thankful for Nepal tonight. There are certainly kind strangers in America, but you often see something go viral when there is a story of one person going out of their way to help a stranger. Tonight, I was reminded of how people don't operate in isolation here culturally. The shift can take some adjusting, but tonight, as I was quite quickly surrounded by a crowd of strangers, genuinely determined to help, I couldn't help be struck by this amazing aspect of this culture. A man we have never seen telling my Dad to hop on the back of his motorcycle to drive up and down the road looking for our son. Older kids and ladies scrambling to ask all around and search the area around us. Several people pulling out phones and coordinating calling the police. Not one, not two, but many, many people stopping to help.
And, last, but perhaps most significant to me, is my family, and by that, I mean not only my biological family but our "extended family" at CloudFactory! My parents were with me, and I am so incredibly thankful for that! Don't know that I would have ended up sane through any of it without them. But, I have not, since high school, lived in the same town as my parents. Since finishing college, I have lived quite far, and now, I live on the other side of the world. God has always graciously provided beautiful community for us, and tonight was, in the midst of a horrifying experience, an incredible picture of what He has blessed us with here. It didn't even register what was going on at first, as I walked back to the group of people that had gathered, within a few minutes of calling John at the office, and I saw a familiar face. And, then another. And another. And, taking a few minutes to connect, I got a call from John that he had found Isaiah at home, and I realized that this huge group from the office had come specifically to look for our son! They dropped what they were doing and instantly came to our aid. Maybe you have that with your closest friend in the States? Or, maybe a few? But, literally, dozens of our friends were there, surrounding us. Even after knowing Isaiah was found, some came back to our home to see him and just see and connect that he was ok. That is not what just a co-worker, or even most friends, do. That is what family does.
While I sit here tonight, exhausted but running it all back through my mind, words seem so inadequate to express the great gratitude I have. I am SO thankful that my son is OK (though, if you see him on a leash, don't be surprised!)! And, I am thankful for the amazing and very humbling display of the great blessings of people who surround us here!
2 comments:
Oh Rachel, I'm so glad he is ok and you are ok. What a beautiful story. It happens in a split second, but to know that family is all around you to help must be so comforting. Bless you, and thank God! for continuing to keep your family safe.
So thankful you found him! I lost Josiah at the KISC fare for about 20 mins and i know how you feel! That relief of having them back and the shock. I was so thankful for friends and the KISC family who helped search for him. He too had gone on ahead and gone to the car parked outside!
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