Some Epic Similes

                                                     From The Belize Experience

John Milton wrote several lengthy poems in which he lapsed into extended comparisons that may be called “epic similes’’. In these, one expanded situation is set forth in order to show another point that he wanted to dramatize. So here I have tried to imitate his style of dramatization and thus each item should be read as literature and understood for the basic dramatic point which it makes. These similes mostly reflect some particular aspect of our life in Belize, especially at a given point of time.

Like the parched desert absorbing every drop of rainfall so that its presence is unnoticed, and not even will a rainstorm cause any flooding as any amount of water can be absorbed by the ground longing from a long time for moisture, so it is when we return from the States where mothers, youth, and children gather at our house to absorb everything we brought along and also every dollar they can absorb from us so that even the suitcases we lugged though the airport and bus stations seem to have been nearly empty as the contents are absorbed in a moment by our impoverished friends without leaving much evidence of any distribution.                                                                 1/20/10

Like a zombie being jostled around by living persons who are doing their own thing, oblivious to his presence as if he were invisible, so I felt this morning as I strove to accommodate the youth as they were bustling around and urgently seeking food for their breakfast, each for himself, as they surrounded me in the kitchen.

Like the soldier, committed to serve his Commander, daily goes out to meet the foe, ever realizing he may not survive the day, and so protecting himself where he can, launching out as he has strength, and long before evening or the call to rest comes, finds himself battle worry and fatigued, ever wishing tomorrow would come much later where the same will be not be repeated, until day after day, week after week, he becomes more and more deeply entrenched in tiredness in mind and nerve, never knowing which morning he may be unable to get up, so is the missionary’s life in the constant resistance, opposition, and ambiguity of the tactics, schemes, and appearances of the Enemy’s manifestations, ever so hazy and unclear, to wear us down until we are so tired and we wonder if we are still fighting the commander’s battles or just mechanically doing what he had told us; wondering perhaps at times which side of the battle lines we stand as we fight, never feeling, nor knowing when orders may have shifted and we didn’t hear it.

Like a ship on high seas, buffeted by storms day after day that threaten the life and sanity of its passengers and crew, while the co-captain reminds the captain of every problem and discomfort encountered in this environment; and urges the captain to leave the rudder and abandon the ship with a life boat, leaving all passengers and cargo to fate which leaves them in a most vulnerable position in the deep sea and heavy storm, so is our life in Belize with youth, children, and single parent families dependent on us for their well-being as we bring them through their poverty into a life of faith and sufficiency, while one of the leaders constantly reminds the other of every frustrating experience in the process of helping people, until we wonder when we will have to turn everything over to the fate of culture and ungodliness to ensure our sanity and survival, perhaps saving our lives only to lose them in the end, or at least wasting the skills and abilities we have to help people get out of their desperation.

Like water seeking lower levels and spreading as broadly as possible, coming from a typhoon that never wants to end until all earth is inundated and overwhelmed with its ever pervading saturation, until residents have to seek higher ground constantly and build dams and guard them vigilantly from the beginning of overflowing and the spilling in new territory so that no land is visible anymore, so it is to live where homeless children constantly flooded our home and especially the places of interest such as the computer room, the kitchen and the TV unless we are ever vigilant against them and constantly building boundaries and standing vigilantly and enforcing them without exception lest they gradually but surely totally inundate our spirits, depriving us of our residence, out of any recreation at all, devouring all our food and restricting our freedom to the narrowest place of safety. Jan 21, 2009.

Like a small boy crawling over his father lying on his back with his head under the kitchen sink, struggling to repair a persistent and evasive leak, the small boy wanting a close relationship but adding to the problems of the father rather than helping him, so is the experience in my life when I am struggling with a problem, or leaving the house on business, someone will come to me and load on me one more thing while I was concentrating on all the things I should accomplish on my mission; or thinking while I am burdened with one problem I might well be geared up for another.

Like a guitar needing to have every string properly tuned to the right pitch and correct in relationship

to each other, so the Christian must have all facets of life interrelated- work, motivation, commitment, morality, community, and faith, so that the combined tone will be one of beautiful and effective harmony, pleasing to God, and acceptable in the community to which he relates intimately.