Tired

Tired. No, I did not run the marathon nor did I go shopping—two things I can think of that can make me tired (Not that I ever did the former, but had various experiences doing the latter). The kind of tiredness I’m feeling now stems from spending the day pacing the kitchen and visiting a family four different rides away.

My sister Chayen texted me yesterday, asking if I could cook something—anything—for her when she comes to visit today. Of course she knows I’d say yes. It wasn't surprising, therefore, that this was my first thought upon waking up: “I need to go to the grocery store.” And so I did and then spent the rest of the morning keeping my hands busy with the knife, the rolling pin and the frying pan.

A tricycle, a bus, a train, and a jeepney—I rode them all four hours after my stint in the kitchen to reach a house in Project 6. A quote I remember vaguely says, “The road to a friend's house is never long.” It was time to see a missionary family close to my heart but far from my place. Minutes after my arrival, the kids, aged eight and four, formally introduced me to their pets—two rabbits, a dog, several fishes, an iguana, two turtles, birds (and the rest of those who made it inside Noah's ark, or so you might think). The couple, my long-time-friends-slash-mentors, served me a delicious dinner. But what was more filling for me was the conversation we had in between mouthfuls of food. And the best condiments, as I've tasted, do not come from jars of spices but bottles of laughter, friendship and trust.

My energy might have been depleted but my spirit was full. I’m tired, but it’s a “good kind of tiredness.” I’m slowly realizing what makes life truly meaningful. It’s probably not what I have—or don’t have—in my pocket. It’s who, and what, is in my heart. And of late, I've been asking God to teach me how to sift through my life. By His grace, I'm learning.

But for now, I'm going to sleep tired...and happy.