“You may never pass this way, with these people, again.” - Dr. Stroope
India taught me about presence and seasons.
We moved around a lot throughout the trip. We spent 2 days
in Los Angeles, 3 days in Hong Kong, 4 days in Hyderabad, 3 days in Chennai, 2
days in Cochin, 3 days in Jaipur, 5 days in Kolkata, 3 days in Varanasi, 2 days
in Agra, and 3 days in Delhi. There were also a cumulative number of days spent
in the in-between spaces of airports, train stations, and buses.
When I am home I have a bad habit of pushing things off
until later. Specifically I tend to squander moments with people in the now
because I feel that there will always be a later for more meaningful
interaction. I plan eloquent emails in my mind where I will tell so-and-so how
much their time and the sharing of themselves meant to me…instead of looking
them in the eyes and saying it then. I engage in chattering small-talk with
people who I plan to later reach out to sit down for coffee so I can hear about
something specific in their life that interests me…instead of initiating that
conversation during the time we are already spending together.
While in India it was harder to justify these habits.
The journey through India was fast paced, yet somehow time
slowed in certain moments.
I can’t pick a favorite place or experience from the journey
to and from India. But, the time I speak of most was when we were in Hyderabad.
There was one night in particular when we sat around Sagar’s home sharing food
and hearing of the ways God is faithful and active in the lives of his family, our
new friends. I wanted that night to continue forever. I wanted the chance to
return to that moment again and again and continue hearing about the new ways
God was working in between spurts of laughter, Bollywood dance numbers, and the
historic inaugurations of political leaders. Sitting there I realized that I
probably will not have the chance to do that. From there, two thoughts struck
me. The first was that I needed to keep my mind in the room and be fully
present. If this was my only opportunity for this moment, I wanted to experience
it fully.
The second realization was a comfort and a challenge to my
first thought. Because of our identity as brothers and sisters in Christ we will come together again one day. We
have a hope in a resurrected Lord who will one day return to restore all
things. I don’t know what that looks like or means exactly, but I believe the
brief moments we share together now in places like a living room in Hyderabad
are a small taste of something much greater to come. And I want to practice
savoring those moments now even as I anticipate a joy I can’t fully imagine of
our reunion in the future.
Back home, I find myself navigating the tension between
these two thoughts.
Over the past year I have been blessed with deep friendships
that developed very quickly. Waco is not a permanent destination for most. So,
these deep friendships come with the understanding that our time together in
the same place will expire. I also carry the understanding that I am not great
at keeping up with people over long distances. I am improving but I’m still not
great at it.
Seasons are fluid. It’s hard to say with certainty how long
they will last. Maybe people will hang around after graduation. Maybe I will
get a chance to return to India. Maybe this time I will be awesome at keeping
up with people who I don’t see every week. But maybe not. How can I better approach
time with family and friends as if it is all there is? Am I soaking up and
offering up everything I can in every moment? Or am I guilty once again of
assuming there will be another opportunity later and using that as an excuse to
not invest and engage deeply?
Presence is an act of love and the opportunity to be present
with certain people and places is a blessing that comes through the ebb and
flow of seasons. India awakened me to this truth that already surrounded me.
