It’s All Greek to Me by Onyx Conklin
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing (Psalm 23:1).
I fell in love in and with Greece. Before I go on, something you should know about me is I am the emotional, sentimental, everything has meaning, type. Just keep this in mind…
By a blessing of God, I was able to take a trip with my Uncle Spiro to Greece. He lives in America, as do I, but he is from the beautiful city of Kalamata. Yes, if you have ever had a Greek salad, those lovely tangy olives are from Uncle’s hometown. I go on record to say that at this writing I am not yet fluent in Greek. That being said, the language, customs, money, and even how they measure are far different from the good ol’ USA. When we got off the plane, we were met by my uncle’s cousin, Harris (pronounced Horr-ees). He spoke no English and yet he scooped me into a warm and loving hug and kissed my face on both sides. Wow, I love these Greeks already! Bring it!
The three of us drove the four hours from Athens to Kalamata and Uncle translated back and forth. I quickly learned upon arriving that I was completely at a disadvantage because I didn’t speak or understand Greek. Uncle ordered every cappuccino (oh my goodness, did I drink a ton of those!), every meal, and did all of my planning and communication. My sole responsibility was to get in the car. I was not in charge of where we went, who we saw, how long we stayed somewhere, or even what time we were eating.
Now, I know at this moment you are probably thinking this sounds like a very controlled environment but you don’t know my Uncle or Harris. You see in the coming and going, I was always given a choice if I wanted to join in. I was always asked for my thoughts and asked if there were things I wanted to do. While I never held the entire vision of our trip because it would often change, I could could on my shepherds to ensure I slept well, ate well, lacked nothing, enjoyed their company, and was completely protected. I really couldn’t do much without them! However, I really appreciated their company when we got to the wild world of Athens!
In Athens, the parking is nearly non-existent, the people are as numerous as what you’d find at New York’s Time Square, and from the hotel we stayed at, we walked everywhere from the Acropolis to the Parliament and downtown Athens—all in the humid heat and on cobblestone. I was constantly looking down at my feet to ensure I didn’t stumble. Harris lives in Athens so he was the ultimate guide and he walked in front of me and Uncle behind me so they could both guide and protect me. I followed along and when they told me to rest I did. When they cautioned me about crossing streets with heavy traffic, I obeyed. If I wanted to buy something in a shop, Harris was a man on a mission to find whatever I was looking for. I truly wanted for nothing! I never felt so safe in all of my life or so cared for as I did then. I saw the greatest of Athens, ate incredible Greek food, indulged in some shopping and visited beautiful churches, stood where Apostle Paul stood on Mars Hill, and slept safely every night. I was embraced and kissed by the Greek people and shown extraordinary acts of generosity. Oh how I fell hard for these Greeks! It was an extremely tearful goodbye at the airport and I cried for a long while because of how well I was loved. But also because of how MUCH I saw my Jesus in all of this.
If you’re astute, I don’t have to tell you the next part, because you will see for yourself that these men were one of the greatest reflections of Jesus I have ever seen. I don’t always know His plans, I don’t always speak His language as His thoughts are not always my thoughts. But He always guides, always protects, always takes my heart and thoughts into consideration, always provides, He’s my front and my rear guard. He cautions me when I might step out and get hurt. He enjoys my company and He is the creator of the cappuccino I so feel I’m entitled to on a daily basis, Thank you very much, your Majesty Queen Onyx! We think of it as blind faith but really when someone loves you so well, it’s not blind at all. It’s watching the back of your Shepherd, keeping your eyes on Him as He moves you through the crowds and comes up with the greatest adventure of your existence! I truly did fall in love with Greece. In Greek He is called “Christos” but to me He is called Shepherd Jesus. I raise my cappuccino to Him.
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