The Cambodia Chronicles #2: The Fork


I don’t like change. Every time a major life change comes my way I resist it. It’s just the way I’m wired.

When the pastor of my church- who also happens to be my good friend of many, many years- floated the idea of going to Cambodia to visit a church and orphanage called “Water Of Life”, I responded with my characteristic “yeah, right”. I had no intention of going literally to the other side of the world to do and see I-have-no-idea what.

He made the same offer to the church for a few weeks and every time I sat listening, scoffing openly in my mind. But the truth was I was in a rut. The repetition of life- get up, eat, go to work, go home, eat, go to bed (repeat, repeat, repeat, etc.)- was taking its toll. My moods were swinging all over the place but my knee-jerk reaction was to stiff arm any change that would pull me from the rut. (Crazy how that works, huh?)

Then, one day as my friend once again made the offer to the church, I sat listening, and without much thought I remember saying to myself very decisively, “I’m going to Cambodia.”

I don’t know why. I just did.

The next day, while talking with my wife about my frustrations, she said, “I don’t think you’re going to like this, but I think you need to go to Cambodia.”

I never told her of my decision the day before, but her suggestion killed any objections I might have raised.

I spoke to my friend the next day. (You should know, he is known for being a very excitable guy.) It went something like this-

– “Hey, I’m thinking about something. Don’t get excited, okay? I’m just thinking.
– “Okay. Shoot.
– “I know you’ll get excited, but don’t. So just relax, but… I’m thinking about going to Cambodia. I’m just thinking about it! I’m not sure, yet.
– “DUDE! IT’S LIKE A DREAM COME TRUE! YOU AND ME IN CAMBODIA! IT’S GONNA BE AWESOME!

So… he got excited and it was decided. And though it went against everything I thought I was, God changed my mind: I was going to Cambodia.