I really did think quicksand was going to a bigger problem in life than it turned out to be. Maybe that was due in part to my dad's quicksand story. He is a geophysicist and he was out collecting data with a coworker one time. They both began laying out wires, starting in the middle and walking away from each other. Unfortunately, my dad eventually found he'd come across quicksand and began to sink into it. His attempts to get out only made him sink further, so he began to pray.
His coworker, originally headed in the exact opposite direction, somehow ended up going in a circle and came across my dad. When he saw him, he was surprised and worried. He approached my dad with a lot of caution. But the distance between the two was great, and pretty soon he was walking more normally, eventually picking up his pace in his rush to help free my dad from the sand sucking him down.
I feel like that kind of describes what is going on here in Oaxaca. The situation is rather volatile and we have to be cautious as we travel about. But in a way, we've gotten tired of walking carefully and just try to move forward with our lives as best as we can. There is still the chance of danger, but we've become weary of worrying about it. And most of the time we can walk around without problems, so we carry on.
And so we continue to wait and watch and pray. And from what I hear, it sounds like the world could use a generous helping of prayer as well - and light. May we each be a light to the darkness around us. May the love of Christ shine brightly during these times.
Raise us up, O Lord; and let our light break forth like the dawn.
