Dear friends and readers of IllumiNations!,Today, I have a very special treat to share with you all! The most beautiful, wise, creative and intelligent woman in the world is going to share her profound insights with all of us mere mortals! Peggy Sherman the virtuous, has some thoughts about Mazatlan and the Mexican people that have been burning in her heart. Please enjoy, as I sure do! ;)
"I will praise You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works and that my soul knows very well." Ps.139:14
Ever since we arrived in Mexico a little more than a month ago, I have been continually fascinated by the beauty and the diversity of the Mexican people. I confess that my image of the average Mexican was someone with beautiful dark skin, shiny black hair, and brown eyes. Growing up in Southern California, these were the majority I had been exposed to. Granted, coming from a family of eleven children we didn't get out much. Going on a trip to Aunt Mary and Uncle George's house 40 miles away was major for us! So my exposure was limited to approximately a 40 mile radius from our home, which I thought was rather ethnically diverse! Upon moving to Eastern Washington 17 years ago, it was much the same within our largely agricultural community.
Doug, our son Stephen, and I recently went on a tour of the ministries that the local Vineyard church is involved in here in Mazatlan. We had some extremely cute little kids following us around at one point during the day. Among them were two adorable kids with red hair and freckles! (You can catch a glimpse of these little Mexican leprechauns if you go to the pictures labeled Mazatlan dump. They are the boy and girl directly to my left.) While eating at Cafe Pacifico for our daughter Sarah's birthday, there were two couples who looked as American as apple pie. Tall, with blond hair and blue eyes and they were talking, laughing, and having a great time all in Spanish! Now, I understand that being in a tourist town such as Mazatlan you're going to have visitors from all across the globe. But the majority are from the US, Canada, and other parts of Mexico. One more example. Earlier this week, Doug and I were eating at McDonald's (Yes, they have Mickey D's here too! Two of them in fact!) In a booth nearby sat three young people. I glanced over at them and thought, " Oh, some typical American teenagers." One young man had red hair, blue eyes, and pale skin with freckles. He was wearing baggy Dickies pants, and the others were dressed in equally trendy clothing. Lo and behold, they were "habla en Espanol-ing"! My curiosity almost got the best of me and I was going to ask them in my limited, halting Spanish where they were from. But they seemed to be in a hurry so my curiosity was left unsatisfied.
My kids say that I'm just being nosey and that I shouldn't be so concerned about other people. But at the risk of sounding defensive or as if I'm trying to justify my behavior, I must disagree with them. I have always been fascinated with the diversity of humanity. I experienced it while having Korean students with us this past summer. I've also been grieved at the tragic history of nations being conquered. And yet how God in His masterful way can, in spite of evil, create beautiful people of various skin tones, hair textures, eyes colors, facial features, etc.
My grandmother Katherine McLaughlin, while in her 80's, did an indepth study of the human cell just for the sheer pleasure of it. I'm sure she explored genetics and how DNA and RNA, peptides and nucleides and all those other "ides" work together to bring forth a unique masterpiece. These all created in the image and likeness of the Master Himself. Maybe that's where I get this tendency. That's it! I am cursed with the predisposition towards "nosey-ness"! As Reptevia said in "The Fiddler on the Roof" when he was told that money was the world's curse, "Then may the Lord smite me with such a curse, and may I never recover!"
Yes, Mazatlan is just one very small example of the diversity and beauty that has been woven throughout all of human history. May God forever receive the glory for it all!
"Come to the city where you can praise
ReplyDeleteIf you're black, if you're white, if you're yellow or grey
In the morning, in the night, anytime of day
What's that place - Diverse City
With curls in your hair and braids on the side
Straight shake'em loose, just come on and ride
We're a body with parts, like you and me
Together we make diversity
You bring the heart, I'll bring the soul
I'll bring the flag, you bring the pole
We'll fly it high so the whole world knows
The dream of a king 'bout to unfold
We 'bout to do this thing for real
Diverse City got mass appeal
So put your hand in the hand of mine
And we'll spread this love like dandelions" ~Toby Mac
How come the kids don't call it 'nosey-ness' when Doug walks up to perfect strangers and knows their entire lifes' story when he walks away 10 minutes later? I like to call 'nosey-ness' "Factual Frustration Syndrome" and the only cure is to get "the facts, mam, just the facts!" I have to tell you that when I saw the two little red-heads in your photos a couple weeks ago I thought they were the children of another couple helping with the outreach! LOL! While in Korea at the folk village we were surprised to find that everyone who was white did not speak English! We met a young Sweedish couple and the Korean they were visiting interpreted to English for us!!
There is something very humbling about traveling the globe, seeing the nuances of race and tribe, and having your vision and heart broadened and 'illuminated' as you see it all through His eyes.
I'm going to go watch the sun awaken the morning... have a great day.
Peggy,
ReplyDeleteThat was a great! Hey, go ahead and ask and be nosey! I'll bet those other people are asking, "Who is that lady? I would love to talk to her."