last day on the island

with barbed words you struck
and pierced our hearts
needles of "not your child"

tears that coursed
and overflowed
not one but all four faces

and there i stood, awestruck
dumbstruck
to watch my parents cry

and reassure love upon love
and promises forever
saying "love, my child"
and "always will be"

to see humility in deep love
makes me wonder still
how deep it is our savior's love
whose wounds have bleed for freedom

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it feels odd to sit here and type these things out. all i know is that PTL that things managed to work out this winter break.

but tonight, it feels as if we have nearly avoided a family disaster.

my 11 year old angsty brother threw a fit today as we were in the parking lot of the airport. i think it was about being able to play his nintendo DS for an unreasonable amount of hours. thing is, he was so inflamed that eventually, after a lot of mental prods and a couple words of discipline, he decided to run away then and there.

my parents chased after him and kept holding onto his arms and legs so that he wouldn't run. and all the time, he was crying and yelling things that broke our hearts. things to the effect of "you don't love me, you've never loved me, you don't want me, i don't want to be your child" over and over.

eventually, i got everyone, all four of us in tears, into the car to lay down our hurts and talk it over. my parents were tremendously gracious and in humility continued to reassure us of their love over and over.

it's crazy how God works and continues to work. i only praise him that though tonight could have ended up a disaster.

goodbye, my island.
LA awaits.