The band of travelers could only think of their thirst as they made their way through the sand-covered lands. They had dirt riding the sweat down their faces, tired eyes, and warm smiles. Every sound of the horses' hooves hitting the sand was the drum of a victory march. It was a job well done... But they were tired all the same.
This part will normally be left out of any good story, but it is for this reason that it should be written. the long journey home after a furious battle is a portion so profoundly human that it should not be overlooked. For even though they will be legends to their children's children, they are humans now. They feel the wind snapping their faces, the dirt itching the back of their necks, their eyes drooping.The glory of victory will never fade (just as their tired smiles still remain), but it is merely the overarching theme of the journey. The thoughts within that theme consist of thirst, weariness, and a sense of pride to be traveling with such great friends.
Their grateful sighs will be expressed alone and before the Lord once they have wrapped their minds around the experience. For now, they simply ride. The battle behind them and home on the horizon.
*******
This was written after our journey from Nicaragua in 2011. The mission accomplished. The stories (well, most of them) submitted online. And the 34 hour ride home. We smiled. We enjoyed it. We were tired. And we were bonded together in a way that none of us really understand. Just from Atlanta to Boone, the final leg of our journey, we had to split it into thirds (one driver taking each) because we were so tired.
I think there's something beautiful about that. The sheer exhaustion, to be shared with so many people after a good job, has something deep in it. The final handshake and embrace between a good team that's ready for a shower and a bed (a cool bed, and not a warm one) attaches them together forever in the Spirit. We can only praise God. Amen.
