jakorte's blog

There is something about a final night on a mission trip. More raw feelings, more soul wandering, more needing to connect. Couldn’t sleep so I went for a walk outside. Sat in the memorial garden for a bit.

When I finally decided to go back in, I came across my no longer sickly bunk-next-door mate and the STEM Leader. It looked like there was a lot paperwork going on. My unusually bold self, perhaps needing to connect, sat down and asked the two ladies seated there, “How did you get here? How the week had gone?”

Frustrations, incompleteness, worrying about family problems, dealing with grief and loss: we sure found a lot to talk about. Then, there I was again … pulling out Jeff’s picture and trying to explain the path I had taken. It was hard for me. That’s not changed yet. After reading the memorial, the STEM leader passed it back to me and said, “You should share your story more often - in ministry.”

There was that word again. From a complete stranger. Just at the moment when I feared the tears would roll, another STEM member came through the door with a tree frog. It was a tiny thing, in a paper cup, which apparently the little green guy was opposed to. He bounced out and landed on the round table, demonstrating impressive leaping capabilities.

In an effort to stop the frog from leaping off of the table – one of the ladies put out her arm. The frog interpreted this as an acceptable leaping launch pad. He bounced up her arm quickly, his cold clammy skin causing bubbly laughter. The next jump ricocheted the tiny reptilian off the bottom lip of her startled open mouth.

It all happened so quickly. I think our Cajun hopper went to the floor next, not too sure since I was laughing so hard. I know there were people down there chasing him and that he ended up back in a hand-covered cup, escorted out side. As we watched the retreating frog finding volunteer, the laughter slowed down a bit.

Once I caught my breath something else occurred to me. “Do you realize how close you just came to eating Cajun frog legs?” I asked.

I was also thinking that I wish I had been inclined to begin this conversation earlier.
Why do I always wait until the last minute to share?