Autumn to Our Hearts, Not Spring

If you want to enjoy every laugh, you have to cry every tear.

                                         -Kahlil Gibran 

                                                                                            Jan 6,1883 – April 10,1931

For its sunshine, flowers and perfect weather, Quito is known as the land of eternal spring. 

It wasn’t named by a foreigner living here, obviously. There is always a piece of us that is dying. 

We live in a transient community. Somebody is always leaving, and this brings autumn to our hearts, not spring. 

After a while, I’d try to make friends and as soon as I did, sure enough we’d have to move out again.
Finally I decided not to let anyone get close enough to hurt me again . . . I guess I’m still doing that.

                                                                             Major Margeret “Hotlips” Houlihan on the 

                                                                            TV sitcom M*A*S*H

We enjoy the laughter as we watch old episodes of M*A*S*H. And yes, sometimes tears. Theirs is a wartime
setting, a mobile surgical hospital, and different from our situation. But we relate to some of the story lines, the
characters’ struggles,  of this television program. 

A spring several years ago, Kathy lost three friends. An ocean would soon separate her from Ros (it was
pre-Facebook, a veritable lifetime ago). Susan was dying; her journey to Jesus occurred while we were in the
States that summer. 

Her friend/mentor/surrogate mother, Lois, had invested lifetimes in us, which included hosting and nursing
Kathy as she recovered from hepatitis. Lois helped not only Kathy, but our whole family. Lois too was leaving.
How much can one heart endure? 

Greg put it this while preaching awhile back, “Long-term friendships here are unusual. We in Ecuador who are
not Ecuadorians come and go a lot.” 

“In some cases,” he said, “We will never see them again this side of eternity . . . and that’s hard to take.” Just
like Major Houlihan, people find a way not to take it. He’s been told, ‘I don’t make close friends anymore. They
all leave and it hurts too much.’ 

Fortunately, Kathy hasn’t quit or
shut down emotionally.  Today,
he has confidants, casual friends
and a friend list on Facebook.
With the social networking on the
Internet, she is connecting often
with former Quito friends. 

Death . . . then life . . . then
another death. And life again
as friendships are renewed.  

These are the seasons, this
is is the life we choose. 

As we serve the One. 

Who left heaven for us.