Lovers Leap in Tennessee

When I returned to the USA, I started to get the idea from a lot of directions that people were concerned about me because I don't have a plan.  If you know me, I like plans.  But at this point, I don't have one.  Actually, if you know me really well, you know I normally have about twenty plans and I just have to pick one!  And  yes, I do have a lot of different plans right now, but I don't know which one to follow yet.  I can't explain it.  I just have a strong sense that I need to wait.  Slow down.  And just take the one little baby step in front of me.

I have probably mentioned this before, but I have often been recalling a line Robert Redford speaks in the film version of Out of Africa.  He says, "God made the world round so we couldn't see too far down the road."  (Actually, that may not be exact, because it has been ages since I watched the film and I have a tendency to switch words around!  Also, I love the story, but have never actually finished the book, so I'm not sure if it is a line from the book originally.)  Back to the quote.  I just love that reminder.  It tugs at my adventurous side when my detail loving side gets anxious.

A few months ago, I started to get a very strong mental picture of my waiting.  I had a friend who frustrated me when she said I seemed "lost."  To me, lost is not at all the right word but I didn't know how to explain what I felt.  I mulled it over for a while, and this is what I've come to see.

I feel like I know exactly where I am.  I feel confident that I am where I should be.  But I do know that this is a temporary situation.  Whether I stay or go, something more permanent has to happen.  This picture in my mind is so clear.  Near Chattanooga, Tennessee, there is a place called Rock City at Lookout Mountain.  At one spot, the caretakers have placed a marker, pointing out that from this vantage point,  you can see landmarks in seven states.

I feel like I'm standing at that marker.  I don't feel lost at all.  I know where I am and it is the right place for me today.  There are so many directions I can see, and the view is amazing.   It is as though God is holding me here.  It is not a punishment or a lack of hearing His voice, but rather a chance to take in the beauty.

There is a waterfall there, 140 feet tall.  It was created when Rock City became a tourist spot.  I have a love of waterfalls, and for some reason, I've always loved this picture, which either Dad or I took in 2003 when our family visited Rock City.

The High Falls of the Lookout Mountain

The High Falls of the Lookout Mountain

Rock City has a legend of a Native American man who fell in love with a woman from another tribe.  When their love was discovered, he was executed by being thrown from the cliffs.  She was forced to watch, but escaped her guardians and jumped over the cliffs herself.  You can read the story for yourself, found on a old Tennessee postcard.  The lookout point is also called Lovers Leap because of this legend.  It is a very tragic story for such a lovely spot.

In my waiting, I have come to a point of having one step more certain.  I have finally bought a plane ticket, which helps to settle my plans for the coming months.  Mid July, I'll be making a ridiculously long 40 hour journey to Mozambique.  My parents are using their connections to find several opportunities for me to keep busy.  The really exciting part is that I will be staying in Mozambique for four months, returning to the USA about a week before Thanksgiving!  

The month until I leave will be pretty busy.  This Friday, I'm driving out to Lake Huron, for a week of retreat and prayer.  I will be taking my camera, but sadly, you'll have to wait to see pictures.  I'm not supposed to be using a computer or phone during the week I'm there!  After that week, I will be back in Pennsylvania, but then going to Massachusetts and perhaps Maine the following week.  Before I know it, it will be July and I'll pack and go to the airport.  Of course, I'll be keeping you posted on my travels!