Series of Losses......and Gains.

I had a good friend once who told me, "Life is a series of losses, Marcia. That's just the way it is." She firmly, confidently mentioned this when I had recently been told my, then-husband, had been cheating on me, again. I was seeking help and healing of heart, and this friend gave me her personal adage for the situation, I guess.  I didn't really appreciate what she said at the time, but I can agree that there are losses throughout life. It seemed to ring true as I sat there in my rejected stupor.


However, that's not the whole story, now is it? 

I was thinking about her statement today because I lost my cell phone. So, I took a pity party walk. (This is risky and not all that much fun in a "male only" walk on the street situation.) I decided to list all my losses in Morocco so far. OK, OK humor me all you further along in the thankful continuum. I have lost my umbrella at a holy site (see how holy it was?), I've lost my cleaning gals because they were having company over to take showers with our hot water (busted by our landlord while we were at work), 


I've lost one ear piece of my glasses, so I always wear my sunglasses to see distance (No, I don't think I'm a movie star.), I've lost at least some of my sense of humor, I've lost my art-making everyday habit, I've lost a tube of make-up (the wayward cleaning gals?), I've lost my power chord for my camera, my Excedrin from my desk at school, my favorite earrings in Fez, and most of the life in my clothes. 


Come to think of it, they are still up on the roof on the line and it is dark out now. Oh, I've lost the use of a dryer.


As I was having my pity party walk with seventy-five Muslim men scattered about staring at me (trust me, it's not as much fun as it sounds), a car stopped right in front of me.


It was an older single woman, Carol, who works at my school. She wondered if I was OK wandering around alone on the streets. (No, I'm fine, I just lost my phone and I love having seventy-five burly Moroccan men staring at me while I am trying to get some exercise. Can't a person take a walk in this town?) She suggested she show me some local hot spots in the neighborhood that I knew nothing about. 

Let's just say, she got me in the car, and she showed me the dry cleaners that does wash. She also showed me the Pizza place with brick oven baked take-out, the French restaurant she and a bunch of teachers go to on Friday nights, and then she showed me her camera. It's just like mine with the fantastic lens. 


She even stopped the tour so we could take pictures of the sunset. Beautiful waves leftover from a storm at sea were crashing below us while the sky was lit like a carnival and cotton candy on a summer evening. It was glorious.


Yes, life has its losses. It really does, and they are really tough, painful, overwhelming at times and quite sobering. But, life also has gains. That's the rest of the truth I need to hear, and you need to hear when we are suffering. There will be gains. Just like seeing a new friend who took the time to hang out with me or watching God's glorious artwork in the sunset tonight. He's still painting exquisitely every single day.

Yes, there will be gains. 


I say to myself quietly tonight, "Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not get weary." Goodnight from Morocco.