Layover in Delhi. . .finally, arrived in Nepal!

For the record, I love to fly! I'm not as fond of domestic flights as I am of international flights. I enjoy the airport experiences, the people, and even the plane food!! Ever been stuffed on plane food? More than the tangible aspects of flying, I love the sense of new adventure that international flights spark: embarking to the unknown!

It was a long layover in Delhi. The first leg from Dulles to France was a little over 7 hours; from France to Delhi, the flight was a little over 7 hours. The layover in Delhi (2300-0600) was 7 hours!! Notice a trend? It was a hard 7 hours in Delhi! Thankfully, the transit lounge was air conditioned. I managed to get a few 20 min naps in while sitting upright in those lovely airport chairs. Ughhh. . . perhaps that explains my current exhaustion! But I dare not rest my eyes just yet (BTW, we're about 10 hours ahead of EST). Dal Bhat is cooking for lunch!!! Yes---this is the finest Nepali cuisine.

While in the air and during my grueling layover, I've been increasingly engaged in Thomas Merton's autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain. Early in his spiritual journey to faith, he came to an awesome conclusion that I am determined to adopt: "the only way to live [is] to live in a world that [is] charged with the presence and reality of God." I find great truth in this simple yet profound perspective of living for truly God is everywhere. Not only must we dare to live as though we are loved (a difficult task by itself and one I'm practising to embrace), but we must also live to see the presence of God in all things. Jesus stated that we are not of the world (John 17:16), but He did not pray we would be removed from the world. In fact, He sent us into it. Still, living in union with Christ requires that we live apart, that we maintain holy boundaries. Perhaps the only way to maintain spiritual sanity in this decaying world is to see the presence of God in all things and let Jesus live within and through us. This, I think, is part of living a supernatural life. What a worthy desire!