Shalom

 By: Natalie de Guzman

Over the past couple weeks, we at Beyond Malibu have been learning and understanding the importance and meaning of Shalom (a hebrew word). It can be defined as peace, completeness, prosperity, and welfare: universal peace and flourishing. I long for it everyday. I long for peace and completeness. Today, I longed to come to peace with the endless bug bites that dot my legs, feet, and arms. I so often find myself feeling sad because I cannot experience brief moments of shalom as often as I want…Amy, one of our mentors and friends here, says “feeling sad and longing for the things we know we need and want is one of the secrets to experiencing shalom. Feeling sad that shalom doesn’t exist everywhere is important to come to grips with. It is okay to feel sad.” IT IS OKAY TO FEEL SAD. Broken shalom is just one of the many consequences of sin. We are willing to try many different ways to find shalom. Some will go to drastic measures. More often than not, “we settle for cheap imitations of shalom, never really getting a glimpse or taste of what it really is.” However, shalom will come again. It exists and our God “loves it. He created it. It was His idea.” Since coming to Beyond, it has become easier for me to recognize God-given moments and blessings of shalom. 

A couple nights ago, I remember tipping my head back in laughter. When I came up for air and looked around me, I realized I was surrounded by genuine, loving believers, whom I already felt a strong connection with, similar to everyone else here at base camp. The mountain glow was giving off a peaceful shadow, accentuating our faces and making the water in the inlet sparkle, while stilled and resting. We were sprawled out between three trees in eight hammocks — which we call Hammock City -- at the edge of the water, resting after a busy day of work. I felt happy. I felt peace and completeness. THIS WAS SHALOM.