Daddy's keys

Our brains are absolutly amazing.

Smells, sights, sounds that can transport us back in to time, remind us of a loved one or bring on a wave of emotions (laughter, tears, anger, fear).

I found myself in tears the other day as I read on the beach. I'm coming to the end of "Kisses from Katie" and she mentions that despite all the beautiful blessings she has received from obeying her call to Uganda, there are so many things that she misses back home. 

Immediately I heard a sound in my head.

My daddy's keys.

All of Bermuda knows this, but my daddy is a locksmith. It is his passion! He goes to locksmith conventions, conferences and reads locks & safe magazines like they are novels. Every family vacation growing up also included scanning the local phonebook to see where the closest locksmith was located. Golly I love him!

With a profession like this he is called out at absurd times of the night and morning to open cars, safes, drug busts with the police (he loves those ones!) and many other adventures. 

But when we'd hear the kitchen door open at 3 or 4 in the morning (I didn't use to sleep with earplugs!) I'd listen for a distinct sound to make sure it was just my dad. His keys. 

Of course there are all sorts of other sounds that I love from home too. Each month our church would have a fellowship time at a church member's home and when it was my mom's turn you could guarantee to hear the pans banging, the mixer running and the timer beeping. She is a beast in the kitchen. (Those sounds were also common on Sunday mornings as she gets her amazing roast beef, potatoes and yorkshire pudding lunch ready. Yuuuummmmm!)

Bermudians fall asleep to the sound of treefrogs. We grew up with the sound of waves on the gorgeous beaches, we'd run to the road if a siren stopped within earshot of the house to see what was going on and we could hear the sound of the Gombey's on any given holiday.

I used to feel guilty for missing home. Actually... I still do sometimes. I'm thankful for the call God has placed on my life, but it doesn't mean that Bermuda and the people there have become any less special to me. Believe me... I am counting the days until our plane arrives on that little dot in the middle of the ocean :)

But amongst the sounds that transport me back home, I can't help but cherish the sounds that surround me every day here in the Dominican.

Bachata at every colmado (little convenience stores), the honking of speeding guaguas (buses), barking dogs and clucking chickens, the "ssssssss" sound when someone is trying to get your attention, whistles (we don't have a doorbell... They whistle for us to come to the door. Pity for me who can't whistle!!), my neighbor's blender EVERY morning. love it!

But amongst the beautiful sounds we hear day, I think there are a few that make God smile too. Here are a few from this week.

The sound of our youngest Lily reciting all 10 verses required for camp and then sitting with another young Lily (who is unable to read) to help her memorize them too.

The teens at youth group laughing through the games at youth group and singing their hearts out during worship on Sundays.

Laughter from about 30 young boys who voluntarily turned up at church to wash the chairs!

L (who lost her mom a couple weeks ago) cheering and dancing around her house hugging her new Bible in creol (what Haitians speak). She's excited to study in her own language.


I can imagine what a sweet aroma these praises are to our Maker.

Close your eyes. What do you hear?