Quick Post

Just a few words to describe my week which I shared on facebook.

Really, it's not all sunsets and beaches here. Last week I wiped the drool from the face of a deeply hurting man who was too inebriated to know he was drooling. I worked beside a man who had humbly asked complete strangers for a job and by the end of the week he was another loved member of our team. I shared life with a team of loving people who embraced sleeping on air mattresses and taking cold showers. I am blessed to know both the beauty and the hardship of my island home.

Van

Van's room

Simon on his first day working with us

Simon and the whole team on excursion day

Just another Beautiful Day

Fog over the Salt Pond before the dune and the sea

Mission Teams are coming to camp regularly now. We have usually two weeks on and a week of prep in between. So far we have hosted teams from North Georgia, Vermont, Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. (I still need to get used to yes ma'am and no ma'am)

This morning, since the clocks sprang forward, our teams are up in time to see the sunrise. 
You have to make an effort to look for it though. The building is not situated in a way to make it a focal point. As you walk to the dinning hall for breakfast you can miss it because it's behind you.

As we gathered in the dinning hall for breakfast I noticed the orange glow streaming through the screen door on to the white table cloth at the buffet table. (Miss Pauline always serves us on a nicely set table) I got excited to follow the stream to peer out the door and see the color and rays just beyond the waving palm trees. I invited a few other volunteers to look through the doorway too. With a sigh one said, "Just another beautiful day."

It is beautiful! I am so blessed to be able to see it and witness it in person. How many sunrises and sunsets do we miss in our lives because we are too focused on the things and the stuff of life.

"Just another Beautiful Day"

It made me think about the work "just" though. So, I looked it up and "just" can be used in several ways and have very different meanings.

1.exactly.

"that's just what I need"

synonyms:

exactly, precisely, absolutely, completely, totally, entirely, perfectly,utterly, wholly, thoroughly, altogether, in every way, in every respect,in all respects, quite; More

o    exactly or almost exactly at this or that moment.

"she's just coming"

2.very recently; in the immediate past.

"I've just seen the local paper"

synonyms:

a moment ago, a second ago, a short time ago, very recently, not long ago, lately, only now "I just saw him"

3.barely; by a little.

"inflation fell to just over 4 per cent"

synonyms:

by a narrow margin, narrowly, only just, by inches, by a hair's breadth,by the narrowest of margins; More

4.simply; only; no more than.

"just a bad day in the office"

synonyms:

only, merely, simply, but, nothing but, no more than; More

o    really; absolutely (used for emphasis).

"they're just great"

I have had issue with the word "just".

I think sometimes we use it like the third or forth meaning "barely; by a little"; "only or merely". For a sunrise - just another - should not be so ho-hum, so meaningless, so many we barely notice them because we have one every day.

I want to use my "just" as in the first meaning - precisely, absolutely, completely, totally, entirely, perfectly. Like the expression exclaims: "THAT JUST HAPPENED!"

Because God gave me this day, I want to use it to help, do good, and bring peace to the world.

I want to say: "Just (absolutely, completely, perfectly) Another Beautiful Day!"