Sheltered, and Surprisingly Fruitful
Scott and I did not expect our time in Mexico to turn into “sheltering in place.” With roads blocked and travel uncertain, we stayed put. No outings. No church visits. No entertainment. Very little information.
And yet — it became one of the most productive stretches we have had in a long time.
We read. We wrote. We prayed. We listened. We received an outpouring of prayers from all five of our churches — and even from congregations we served years ago. It felt like being carried.
It made me think about Lent.
Lent can feel like everything freezes. No noise. No distractions. Fewer comforts. Limited food. The world narrows. But narrowing is not the same as shrinking. Sometimes it is focus.
Thomas Merton once wrote, “The greatest need of our time is to clean out the enormous mass of mental and emotional rubbish that clutters our minds.” When the clutter falls away, what remains is essential.
In stillness, we discovered again that prayer is not a last resort. It is infrastructure. It is how the Body of Christ breathes.
Thank you for being that breath for us.
We look forward to sharing more when we return — including how this unexpected season stirred old memories and deeper trust in God’s steady hand.
With gratitude,
Lydia & Scott
