Susan LaffertyThe young man apologizes as we get up to let him through to his window seat. We have a long flight ahead. Fourteen hours or so.
Beforehand, I’ve asked for a heart attentive to His prompting. And for willing availability, boldness to share the gospel.
It’s not my first thought on airplanes lately, to be honest. I’d rather chill in my own little world. Enjoy the extended “pause” from daily tasks.
But as he’s seated, I pray for wisdom. To listen and obey.
Untracked land. Most vivid on days marked by change. Upheaval.
When planned schedules sit. Unattended. Calendars, set aside.
And we enter unknown spaces.
On such a day, I remember the quote. Handwritten on a scrap of paper years ago. Placed on my desk.
Amy Carmichael’s words.
Simple shelter. Close quarters with eclectic decor. Spare furnishings.
She welcomes us in. And starts the fire on a small charcoal stove. Takes her sauce pan and pours in the green coffee beans, newly washed.
And so it begins.
The slow, deliberate way of an Ethiopian coffee ceremony.
Traditional hospitality. With laughter. And conversation about life.
Daily and eternal.
