Daily Life

Oh the tranquility of a slow day. It can heal and nourish the soul if fully utilized. As I sit here typing into my phone, I hear children laughing, with their lighthearted conversation in high pitched voices. So innocent and sweet. I hear the wind blowing through the tree I’m enjoying the shade of. I hear workers hammering metal off in the distance and the soft murmur of low voices deep in conversation. I know and have come to accept that life isn’t easy. But here in this quiet moment, I can forget about the pain if I want to. I can let my mind slip into the meekness of its original form before the world complicated it. It’s interesting, isn’t it? As Christians, we emphasize prayer and Bible reading for the regeneration of the soul. And I agree of course. Those two things are paramount to survival. But this moment is too. God created children, of which I’m hearing in the background. God created this tree and the wind. God created the bright blue sky filled with clouds of many different shapes. God created this simple moment. And in it, I can’t help but feel connected to my Creator. I hear Him in the high pitched squeals of the children, in the melodic hammering of the workers, in the rustling leaves of the tree. I feel Him in the gentle, mild climate in which I am most comfortable. I see Him in the innocent games and creative explorations of the children in front of me. I wonder if we put too much emphasis on the evil in this world and forget that God is the very One who created these foundational things. Man kind has corrupted it. But not completely. If you just slow down, listen closely, you will see God’s hand still gently painting the perfect picture. And it’s in those moments, I am easily reminded of the goodness of Jesus. 

And then the moments of stark contrast come. I walk in the scorching sun down long muddy roads. Smells that I can’t even describe cause me to breathe very lightly. As I walk, I carefully guard the phone in my jeans. In fact, I’ve strategically placed it so that it would be harder to steal. I walk on one side of the road in hopes to avoid any boda boda’s from hitting me. But this causes me to walk through a lot of mud and animal waste. I move quickly. I find this usually helps keep the unwanted flirting and harassment at a more manageable level. But still it comes. Occasionally a very drunk man decides to walk with me as far as he is able. His slurred words flow out of his mouth incoherently. “Omulungi (beautiful one), what country?” I smile and answer. If I refuse to say anything, he would most likely become angry. But I keep walking and eventually he fades away. I reach my destination and end up sitting through a three hour meeting. I haven’t eaten breakfast or supper from the night before. I’m so hungry. But now the hours tick by and I begin to wonder if I’ll even get lunch. As I sit there under the umbrella, the sun manages to find me. I break out in a sweat. Will this day end? Of course it does. Eventually I climb into bed, tired beyond words and still dirty from the long day. The water at home is off. I don’t even know if I’ll get to shower in the morning. But that’s when God’s tender mercies come in. I wake up, and a new day has begun. I find a jerrycan of water and manage to shower the best I can, using a cup and a basin. I iron my tshirt and fix my hair. I find some bread in the kitchen and cover it in honey. One step at a time. One day at a time. And with each day that comes, God’s protection and guidance over my life becomes all the more clear. I get hurt, yes. But He never lets it break me. He gives me more than I can handle, yes. But never more than He can handle. So for that reason, I trust Him. And in both the simple calm, and the crazy hustle, God is there. He is gentle, like the wind in the trees, and He is faithful to protect me in the crazy moments. That’s God. He’s always there. In the good, bad, easy, and hard, He is always there. What a comforting thought.