Taking My Time

Rod is in class, Cate is petting cats, Gabe is playing basketball and Bennett is hiking…I guess that leaves me…what am I doing?

Well, as you can guess, I still do a lot of the normal things…cooking, cleaning, and shopping…those are the usual things that have not really changed. Well, I guess the way I do these things has changed. Cleaning is really easy in a tiny apartment with limited supplies so that takes up very little time. Cooking is a little harder and takes a little more time. Since we are not using a car, I generally shop every day which includes walking to the store and back with the goods. Sometimes I shop in the old city. Things are cheaper there and actually a ton fresher. For the chefs in the bunch…you would love this! There are tons of fresh veggies and fruits in every color of the rainbow, herbs spilling out of baskets and mountains of freshly ground spices available by the pound. If you can turn your head to avoid the carcasses hanging in the fresh meat area, this is definitely the way to shop. Cooking has been a little bit of a challenge with different foods and not all my normal utensils…but we have come up with some favorites and we are all enjoying trying different things…well, maybe not Bennett…but most of us.

Other than the adventure of maintaining our family in a new setting, I am also homeschooling. I am pretty sure that I am not really all that great at this. We are managing and plowing our way through some curriculum. However, our best learning seems to happen on the go…when we go and see sights and learn about their settings and their history. We have taken every opportunity, whenever possible to take everything in. The children really enjoy these learning experiences the most.

I am also auditing three classes – Biblical Archeology, 2nd Temple History and Parables. This has been sooo great. I forgot what a privilege it is to be able to sit and learn. It is a huge luxury and since I am auditing, I do not have to do any of the hard stuff that Rod does like papers and exams – all the gain, none of the pain. I am learning so much and being stretched in these arenas.

Amidst all of these things, I am taking my time. Time is not something that I normally take. I am not used to having time. Or maybe I never realized that time is something one has to “take.” Sadly to say, my life is usually rushed or hurried. While we do much here and “go” often, here I feel like I have time. I am learning a lot about time…in my classes – how it affects the world, in my family – what a huge gift it is, in my own life – how to take it and use it.

Today we went to the garden tomb. It is one of the traditional sights of the tomb of Jesus. As you walk there, you have to walk through some chaos…crowded & dirty neighborhoods…but then, you walk through this little gate and it is like stepping into Eden. It is a little oasis amongst a busy, dirty, noisy city. Apart from the obvious spiritual beauty of this spot, it reminded me of what this trip is for us…a place and an opportunity to retreat, an opportunity to step out of the noise and business of our lives

…an opportunity to “take our time” and I guess, in a variety of ways, that is what I am doing…taking my time…

“Teach me to number my days, that I might present to you a heart of wisdom.”

Bennett Homeschooling

Shopping in the old city

Carrying the goods!

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