Between a Rock and a Hard Shoe

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"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows."

Psalm 23:4-5, ESV

My mom and I were blessed with the opportunity last month to travel to Egypt; what an adventure. The food, the Nile, the people, the pyramids, the Red Sea - so much!

While my mom and I usually prefer to travel on our own, we chose to do a mother-daughter trip with a tour this time. It was a Christian group, focused on bringing the stories of Exodus to life by placing them in their initial setting and culture. It was eye-opening; I'll be unpacking the stories and teachings for years (brace yourselves for many more posts related to Egypt and Moses!).

At the end of the trip, we were all asked what was the one teaching that meant the most to us. I didn't feel I was able to give my best answer at the time as I was sick with a cold/flu/migraine combo, clutching my stomach on the bus trying to not to toss my pita on my seatmate (you're welcome, Mom), so I thought I'd take the chance to give a better answer here.

Ma'at was a deity within the pantheon of Egyptian gods, known for order and balance and considered the opposite of chaos. She is often depicted as a feather, in conjunction with a scale (notice the feather on the right side of the scale in the scene "The Final Judgement" found at Deir El Medina). The left side of the scale in the photo to the left was the deceased person's heart. In this depiction, the heart is the same weight as the feather (Ma'at) which bodes well for the afterlife.

I like Ma'at. No, I LOVE Ma'at. I love order. I love smooth paths and long sight-lines. I love fairness and equality and things happening the way they "should."

The Bible, as our brilliant tour guide pointed out, does not promise Ma'at. I wish it did. God doesn't promise that life will be easy or be free of chaos. It doesn't promise that God will eliminate every storm from our life or always give us what we think we deserve.

Yet, it promises something far better: Shalom.

Shalom is a Hebrew word often translated as "peace," but that sells it short. It is a wholeness of heart and rightness in relationship with God, others, and ourselves. It is the confidence that God is in control of the story, even when everything seems out of control. It is knowing that the ending to earth's story is fixed, and it is a good one.

This was a particularly powerful lesson when we found ourselves unable to get out of Jordan due to the conflict and the airport subsequently being shut down. We then couldn't find flights out of Egypt because of all the people fleeing the area.

But God was in control.

My mom struggled with serious health issues on the trip, and then I ended up sick myself with her having to practically carry me from bus to airport, plane to plane.

But God was in control.

I love the picture of Squirrel at the top of this post, sleeping between his toy, my shoe, and the couch. Me - I could only fall asleep on a soft bed and pillow and even then with difficulty. My head reels, longing for Ma'at and fearing its absence. Not my boy. He can find his rest even between a rock and a hard shoe. That is shalom.

Where the desert begins, Ma'at ends. But where rocks hem us in, Shalom shows its worth.