Lockdown 173

Lockdown Day 173 - 15 September 2020

And so we didn't get the rain, but the cold. Woke up in 5°C and scrambled for long sleeves and warm tops. This reminded me of the days we lived in Harrismith. Entertainment for the kids was sparse, so we frequented the Spur which was directly off the N3 highway which connected Gauteng and Bloemfontein with Kwazulu Natal. 

I remember while we were sitting inside the Spur, how the travelers stopped to refuel and almost every single time, no matter the season, scrambled for jackets and jerseys the moment they got out of their cars. That was how we knew they weren't from the Eastern Free State. And after living there, no matter where I moved, I always had a cupboard with my "Harrismith" jackets safely tucked away for the odd cold day. 

You see, a place like that, nestled between the most beautiful mountains, shapes your history. Present past and future. 

We always say we have to live in the moment. But that moment is shaped by past, present and future. Winston Churchill said, “If we open a quarrel between the past and the present, we shall find we have lost the future.”  However good or bad, past experiences cannot be erased, only forgotten. In the same way, we can be in the present, but not want to experience it at all.  Whatever the combination, both have a significant role to play in our future. 

When I go for a walk in the morning, I remember all the walks in Namibia that taught me gratitude. When I work with a child, I remember the swimming classes in Harrismith that taught me joy. When I clean the matchbox, I remember how Bloemfontein taught me resilience. Without those experiences I couldn't walk in this life as I do at this moment. These and many more give me a future walk with God. Every step is witness to His presence and providence I could not possibly have foreseen. 

This is why I can embrace Jesus and experience the reality of John 8:12, "Then Jesus said, “I am light to the world and those who embrace me will experience life-giving light, and they will never walk in darkness.”

God's got this. Mm hm aha YEAH 🤸🏼‍♀️.