I watched a lot of Sri Lanka pass from view from the front seat of a rented van. We walked from the plane to the van, and then rode the first of many, many hours we would spend in that van. When we arrived at our first destination I was really ready to be still, and really thankful the 41 hours that had passed since we left Dallas had been successfully navigated.

My room for the night had air-conditioning, a pink mosquito net over my bed, a few geckos and good pillows. I slept with the lights on, and only sporadically, but woke up ready for the next road trip to attend a grand opening of a Hope Center. It was such a blessing to see the hard work, and excitement in the faces of our friends there as they are giving their all to bring Hope and help to their community. Help with the anger, fear and frustration they’ve lived with for so many years. As we left that day, I realized there was a song running through my mind. I knew it was a Mumford & Sons song, but I didn’t recognize which one. I didn’t know the words, but I could hear the slow melody over and over.

I finally plugged in my ear phones, only in my left ear so I wasn’t rude to my friends, and I started searching through Babel to find the song. I didn’t find it. So I went to Sign No More, and finally, when the last song on the album began to play the melody running through my mind began to play. For the entire week, I listened to this song on repeat. Over and over. I wrote the words down in my journal as I rode to and from 5 more Hope Centers from the north to the south. I watched and listened. God speaks any way he wants to... we just have to be listening.
  

"After The Storm"

And after the storm,
I run and run as the rains come
And I look up, I look up,
on my knees and out of luck,
I look up.

Night has always pushed up day
You must know life to see decay
But I won't rot, I won't rot
Not this mind and not this heart,
I won't rot.

And I took you by the hand
And we stood tall,
And remembered our own land,
What we lived for.

And there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears.
And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.
Get over your hill and see what you find there,
With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair.

And now I cling to what I knew
I saw exactly what was true
But oh no more.
That's why I hold,
That's why I hold with all I have.
That's why I hold.

And I won't die alone and be left there.
Well I guess I'll just go home,
Oh God knows where.
Because death is just so full and man so small.
Well I'm scared of what's behind and what's before.

And there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears.
And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.
Get over your hill and see what you find there,
With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair.

And there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears.
And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.
Get over your hill and see what you find there,
With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair.



The van would occasionally stop. We would occasionally get out. Walk into another Hope Center, or walk into the next Hotel, or into the home of our friends where a meal had been prepared for us. And, we would have another opportunity to listen.

As I listened to the testimony, of people I have begun to love, I heard them tell of running from camp where bombs rained down, and how they cried out to God to save them and the children they carried…and He did, this song ran through my mind. "On my knees, and out of luck…I look up."

When I tried to understand the reality of the “hill” they have gotten over, and saw what they have found: "grace in their hearts," this song ran through my mind. 

As they would line up for pictures and prayer together, they stood tall, side by side, purposeful, hopeful…and this song ran through my mind.  

As I heard of how afraid they were, how broken hearted they had been, how hopeless; contrasted to the smiles, purpose and love the Hope Center staff were pouring out because God has poured it into them, this song ran through my mind. “And there will come a time, you’ll see, with no more tears, and Love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.”  "We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.  By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love., 1 John 4:16-18
 
Love dismisses fears, and "night has always pushed up day."  A couple of things I was tragically and beautifully reminded of in Sri Lanka.  Same thing He's done for me, same thing He'll do for you after your storm...out of luck...look up.

Here are some pictures, both out of the window, and out of the van. Maybe you would like to listen to the song as you look at the pictures.  I like to.  Click Here To Listen To "After The Storm".




































Song Credits:  Writer(s): Edward James Milton Dwane, Marcus Oliver Johnstone Mumford, Benjamin Walter David Lovett, Winston Aubrey Aladar Marshall
Copyright: Universal Music Publishing Ltd.

Photo Credit:  The Man on the Elephant in Parade.  My boss took that one. :) 

I'm going to try and not mention Mumford & Sons in my next blog.  But, I can't promise anything.