Rewallpaper Our Minds With What is True Not What Could Be

                                         Rewallpaper your mind with what is true. Sheila Walsh

Too often I leap down the path of what ifs and how horrific it will turn out rather than just sitting in what I know to be true. Yesterday morning I got a call from a close friend who is on a trip with Ronnie B in the Yucatan. He was overcome with emotions and told me that Ron was gone. Can I just clarify that when our son died, his girlfriend called sobbing uncontrollably and told us Ryan was gone. When we kept asking her where he went she finally was able to communicate that he was dead. As you can imagine, I was punched in the heart when he said Ron was gone. Ron and this friend are on a trip with a group for archeology. What Lay meant was Ron had left the group and ventured out on his own. 

To be fair, Lay was feeling so many emotions. There was word of a trucker’s strike across all of Mexico and the threat that roads would be blockaded. The tour group had decided to head to Cancun and the airport rather than chancing getting caught up in the drama. Ron had been debating even before he went on the trip to stay longer and venture down through Belize to a sight in Guatamala. So he made the decision and took his backpack and opportunity to go. Let me stop again. I have been praying all along about whether he should take off on his own and I believe the answer is that he should go while he has the opportunity. Ron was born in South America and if fluent in Spanish. I have every confidence that my husband will be safe and have a bucket list experience. What I am sad about is that Lay’s emotions led him to jump to unknown and untrue conclusions. It was for his love and concern of his friend but it was not based in fact but fear. He began telling me how meloncholy Ron had been and that he didn’t even say goodbye. Let me assure you from Ron’s texts and posts that Ron was overjoyed to be at the ruins he was studying.He did tell others that he was heading off rather than back to Cancun. He had also been sharing his possible plans along the way.  But I went down that dark hole of Ron is on a suicide mission. Based on fear and history of losing my own son to suicide. 

I went from worrying when I saw Lay’s number calling rather than Ron’s to Ron is dead to Ron is broken and not coming home. What I knew was true was that he left the group to pursue a path he and I had been praying about. Oh how I threw myself down a hole without any facts. A half hour later I heard my man’s joyful voice describing his plans, his enthusiasm and I knew he was exactly where he was meant to be. We did discuss him getting extra cash in case his cards wouldn’t work, keep in closer touch since he was on his own and let me know his route and where he is. 

My Ronnie B was supposed to be flying home today. Instead he will have more stories to tell when he returns safely next Tuesday. Unless he gets a wild hair and needs to stay a bit longer to investigate past civilizations. That is the truth and I am comfortable with all of it. 

Side note….staying in relationship with God through prayer and Bible study led me to calm down during my phone call with Lay and I was able to pray for Ron’s safety and our peace even before I dispelled all Lay’s emotional leaps of fear. Last note, I love Lay and his love for us and am glad he felt comfortable to call. 

In Him,

Joyful

2-16-24