the paquettes

When it takes 5500 miles to get to a place that you can walk to in four steps.

For those of you that don’t know, Dell sent me to Brazil this week for a business trip, or at least that is what I thought. I left on Sunday afternoon and was in my hotel room the next evening.  This was my first international trip using Skype to keep in touch with the family. Sitting in my hotel room 5500 miles away from home, I logged on to see how the family was doing.

The purpose of my trip had not started. And of course I was feeling anxious about the week not really knowing exactly what I was going to find or do to make sure I came back successful.  The flight over was exhausting and this was my first international trip where I was asked to do more than just teach/present on a certain topic.  I was actually commissioned to go and make sure everything was okay and fix anything that is broken.  That ‘pressure’ plus the constant turbulence only made my coach seat that much more uncomfortable. Not to mention the bottom of the back cushion that felt like a brick in my back.

So, I was hoping that my time seeing and talking with my family would be a good distraction away from it all. It was very nice to be able to see faces and hear the chaos that is my family all they way in Porte Alegre, Brazil.  But it was the words of my youngest daughter Ella, relayed through Julie, that reminded me of something I all to often forget.  Julie, recapping the days events, told me that when she asked Ella where I was she responded, “He went to Brazil (well actually she said Taco Bell-same difference) 🙂  to tell people about Jesus.”

“That silly girl” I responded, “I’m here to work…to fix FX accounting issues.”   Blowing kisses goodnight, I logged off and started to get ready for the next day. Then it hit me…She is right.  That is why I went to Brazil.  How quickly and how often I get bogged down and focus on the temporary struggles and projects of life.

Over the last several weeks I have been reading through the Book of Joshua and my heart is consistently stirred with the desire to Go, as Joshua was called to Go. To be “strong and courageous,” and obey my Lord’s commands, abiding in His word.  And over and over again, my response seems to be, “Where do you want me to go?  What do you want me to do?”  Hoping for some sort of deep voice to come out of the clouds and say, “James, Go and….”, only to realize that He has already given me the direction I need.  And as if that was not enough, which it is, that booming deep voice came in the form of the cutest four year old girl I have ever laid eyes on.

So that’s what I did.  Pretty simple.  Oh how I always seem to find a way to make things complex. Perhaps its an effort to feel more important or smarter when I get tasks done, forgetting my worth lies not in my ability and I am working with the intelligence of a stupid sheep. Anyways, I digress…this week I flew 5500 miles to share the good news with a friend/coworker who sits no more than 4 steps away from me at Dell.

Was the trip a success? Not for me to decide, however, I hope that my renewed focus stays true to the call for all of God’s children.  Go and tell people about Jesus.