Woman in Whitewashed Mykonos

“You will go out in joy and be led forth with peace…” (Isaiah 55:12a NIV).

“I came home to deal with my demons.”

Had I understood correctly? “What’s that? Did you say, ‘Deal with your damage’?” Certainly I’d heard wrong.

The woman behind the counter in the tiny olive and honey shop tucked in a side alleyway in the bustling village of Mykonos, Greece—with its narrow, cobble-stone passageways and whitewashed structures—was just answering my question—

Are you from here?

Prior, I’d inquired about the best olive oil to purchase for bread dipping, and after choosing, I was simply making small talk.

When she answered yes but added she’d left for some time to attend university, I thought her response was explaining how she’d come home to earn money to cover the cost of her education.

I repeated the inquiry. “You came back to deal with the financial damage of your studies. Debt—that’s your demon, yes?”

Her golden eyes met mine, and the answer was clear. “No. I came home to deal with my demons, try to find some peace.”

She didn’t miss a beat as she bubble-wrapped the three small bottles of Greek olive oil we’d chosen. “This has always been home, but life is difficult now. Not like it once was.”

Should I press?

The irony of my particular purchase and the process of extracting the minute bit of oil from each small fruit wasn’t lost, but her answer seemed almost like a heart-cry. I didn’t have to consider long because she continued.

“My father once worked in the mines. There was a day when life here was easier but now…” This time, for the first time, the woman seemed to question her words, but after a beat of silence, “Now… now there are all these people coming to my hometown seeking things. They’re wealthy. Beautiful but I’m…” Again she paused.

What exactly were her demons?

I looked at my husband before speaking, and he gave me a knowing nod.

“Many are searching for the same in the States, but for us, so much is driven by social media which too often shows only the superficial. We’ve lost transparency, just revealing what we want others to see, which drives discontentment, robs us of peace. Maybe it’s the same here?”

The woman nodded, her furrowed brow expressing her…

Sadness.

“Are you the owner of this shop?” I did a broad sweep with my hand as I continued. “It really is a lovely place.”

She shook her head. “No. I’m merely an employee.” Her choice of words—merely—spoke volumes, and what she said next confirmed my suspicion. “I’m here, with a degree, to help my family with our farm. To work to pay for all that was once possible but is now…”

It was Bill who broke in. “Taxed, and with no increase in wages?”

The woman nodded. “Yes. I came home with an education to help my family who barely earns enough to cover costs, all the while…” She placed the last bubble-wrapped bottle of olive oil in a bag. “Tourists, who are both a blessing and a curse, come and go, seeking the material. Many beautiful…”

It was my turn to interrupt.

“You are beautiful too.”

I hoped my words, spoken with a smile, would boost her spirits.

A slight tug at the corners of her lips told me the compliment had, at the very least, encouraged her, even if for only a moment. “Thank you.” She rang up our purchase and gave us the total.

“I hope you’ll enjoy the olive oil.”

“Oh, I know we will. And I’m glad we met you.” I took the bag she held out to me as Bill paid.

As we walked away, I couldn’t help but think of Psalm 104:15. This woman we met on the whitewashed streets of Mykonos needed the Bread of life—the One who makes all the difference, and I prayed—

Lord, please give her Your ‘…oil to make her face shine, and bread that sustains her heart’.

And may she go out with joy and be led forth with peace, in Jesus’s name. So be it!

To Ponder: What demons–that which steals your peace and joy–do you need to deal with? Do away with? Remember: Jesus can heal, restore, and redeem all things!