Lockdown 11

Lockdown Day 11- 6 April 2020 

A skipping stone is an amazing thing to pick up, but then you need a large body of water to make the magic happen...... and boy oh boy what a wonderful feeling it is when you find the perfect stone and watching it glide effortlessly over the water is first prize. But have you ever found the perfect skipping stone, but had to save it and wait until you get to the water? Sometimes the wait feels like eternity and you can almost not bear it anymore, but the stone is só perfect for you not to want to try it out so you put it in a little tissue lined box next to your bed and every night you touch its smooth surface and anticipate the excitement and sheer pleasure of that monent that is still to come.

So it also is with love. And Lockdown love too. Today is our 33rd wedding anniversary and this love between us still stands strong and steadfast. I often wonder how it would be if we were to be separated during Lockdown. I am pretty sure it would be like two special friends finding each others' hearts via cellphone chats and video calls when Lockdown happens. They can't meet or travel to each other, but the bond just keeps growing. And the anticipation too; the anticipation of meeting, and sheer pleasure of human touch once again on our skin. Just like the moment you eventually reach that body of water and get to experience what you have dreamed about. 

So tonight I celebrate love. Lockdown love. My love is locked down with me and I am thankful beyond measure that circumstances did not separate us.If you are alone celebrate the pure and most perfect love of our Creator for you. If you have found new love in this time, pray for the right time , anticipate the meeting and savour every call and chat until then. It will happen as appointed by God Himself. So enjoy the ride because God's got this.

Lockdown 10

Lockdown Day 10 - 5 April 2020

Today was my turn to take our list to the shop, and apart from feeling like a terrorist trying to fit in (funny haha) it went surprisingly smooth, the graveyard till shift being the most quiet time on a Sunday. The plan was simple, get in and out and wash myself and my stuff as best I can once home. Let it be known that the things of a post war world in movies such as Book of Eli can actually happen. This is my truth today. 

I decided to write about nature tonight for fear of a sudden onset of depro-rage. Rage for the people who started this and waited to notify the WHO and depro, well, I suspect you know. 

Around lunch time I was enjoying a little sun in our matchbox garden; inhaling the lukewarm midday air and watching our regular robin foraging through the Gaura stems dancing in the breeze like ballerinas made me feel part of the living breathing universe . The green of the grass was bright and crisp like the first green in spring. I took off my shoes and walked barefoot on the 

grass, a forgotten childhood pleasure I used to love. . I was reminded of my studies on the brain and the health benefits of amongst other things, walking barefoot on grass, such as improved glucose control, heart rate regulation, and stronger immune system. (maybe it'll also dissolve depro-rage, who knows) Now there's a thought: strengthening our immune systems sounds like the way to go in a Lockdown. Using what God gave us and made for us to keep us strong and healthy. If you don't have a little grass, find something with the same kind of texture and walk barefoot! One of my friends walked in the puddles of rain on her doorstep, and another over pillows on the floor. Here's to stronger imnunity for all, and even though the future looks dire, we will have the strength to face whatever comes our way, knowing we have the Omniscient God in our corner, and He's got this.

Lockdown 9

Lockdown Day 9 - 4 April 2020 

Last night I wrote about the 42 day principle. This is also true for changing a habit, for instance getting rid of a bad habit will take 42 days, whereafter the good habit you want to replace the bad one with also takes 42 days. So maybe this lockdown we can try to kickstart getting rid of one bad habit and simultaneously implement one good habit. Just look how quickly we got used to not touching our faces these last 2 weeks and virtually immediately mastered the hand sanitising routine. So any other bad habit could be sent packing as fast as you can say cheese, right? 

Today the rain subsided and the blue sky became dotted with woolly bright white clouds with the sun painting a mottled light pattern through the windows. While enjoying my coffee, I watched a reed buck and its calf venturing out of their hiding place to feed close to the little dam near our house. They were less skittish than usual and even playful, out in the open, something they never did in previous years. I wondered about how it would've been if us humans weren't here and they were free roaming like in the beginning. Taking a step back and zooming out in this time will most definitely reveal the effect of misplaced human superiority and the atrocities of a self centered human race. I once came across a vivid comic strip  illustration where a man is standing on a mountain, banging on his chest, shouting "I am god!" with a war cry sounding voice. In the next picture it is zoomed out from a higher mountain and suddenly this man looks smaller and his voice sounds less booming. In the next frame it is zoomed out from heaven and the archangel Michael is watching. He calls out to his friend, "Hey Gabriel, come look here!" They look down and see a minute figure sounding like a mouse, his claim to be 'god' barely audible. And then the angels roll over and laugh hysterically!

So keep the jokes coming everyone, they sometimes speak loudly to our heart. And maybe in the still of night we might be able to hear the rhythm of heaven softly chanting "God's got this". 

Lockdown 8

Lockdown Day 8 - 3 April 2020 

Rainy days have an enchanting air about them, especially when you're home. You don your comfy winter clothes, slip on your winter slippers and whip out that cosy top you always wear this time of year. And of course every hour or so you have a steaming cuppa to get you through the day's work. 

Which is pretty much how this day went after I tackled my walking route again, this time ditching a most unwilling dog ( to her this was getting weirder by the minute!) and keeping at it until I clocked up a proper distance. 

Later we had a discussion over the idiocy of people who still do not stick to lockdown rules. I was suddenly reminded of how humans react when confronted with isolation and incarceration. There was this study done on Nazi prisoners of war where the longest time span prisoners would wait while being tortured before they talk was 42 days, in other words 6 weeks. It didn't matter how badly they were tortured or for how long, they would talk after 42 days. It is also said that when on a diet, you should have whatever you want on day 42, otherwise you're going to binge after that anyway. Now I know this isnt a diet (maybe It should be), nor are we incarcerated (could've fooled me), but we are mostly isolated and 21 days is just half of that. But maybe we should plan to do something out of the ordinary on purpose on day 21. Also because it is entirely possible that we may indeed see day 42 in Lockdown. Sobering as that may be, we need to think differently about this, and fast. After seeing a video of an experiment showing how droplets are dispersed, I vowed to try online shopping (otherwise known as hurry up and wait), still not really believing this is happening to us. One thing I know for sure is I have a choice: I can let this beat me up or I can find tomorrow's music, and hearing it play, start to dance to the music today. Heaven knows God's well and truly got this. 

Lockdown 7

Lockdown Day 7 - 2 April 2020 

I read somewhere that if you desperately want something you first need to give it away. In Lockdown terms I imagine by this time the whole world would say that something is freedom. Lockdown caused this principle in reverse. A virus (come on, really.......a virus!) forced us to give up our freedom, and now we desperately want our freedom most of all. Although the homebound feeling is actually growing on me because of the fact that I can determine my own pace to get everything done, I simultaneously wish I could be in two places at one time. And this is not necessarily a physical thing, this Lockdown moves into spaces where you have to become brave and bare your soul.

A “-Got-Talent” judge recently said to a contestant who confessed to be on the spectrum “If you can’t fit into this world you should create a new one”. What an inspirationally stupid thing to say to someone who is already in his own world. Yes yes, I am probably interpreting this all wrong, but I am going to have at it anyway: a new world in an old one? Is this what the creators of this virus was thinking? Or maybe they just wanted to annihilate the old one to see if the survivors could sustain a new one? Either way, they obviously have missed one very important truth: this world was designed by a Creator with something much bigger in mind. To stand in a relationship with its inhabitants across all boundaries of natural and spiritual laws. To see who is willing to risk it all for the ultimate freedom that surpasses earthly restrictions. To see who is desperate enough to drop it all for a life in eternity. 

I shall stop wasting time on trivialities and focus on what I can do now to secure heavenly treasures. I shall do my job to the best of my ability, walk the proverbial extra mile with an eternity-driven attitude of gratitude, give and give again until this Lockdown is done and the Corona virus is NOT anymore. 

I retire tonight with another little feather in my jar, inspiration for tomorrow. And I know for sure that God’s got this.

Lockdown 6

Lockdown Day 6 - 1 April 2020 

This day started with a plan. First meditate and then exercise. I had a bad vision of myself ordering an Oros-Man suit (sidenote: that is the one onesy I will never desire) and decided to restart my exercise plan, which obviously needed to adapt to life in a matchbox dwelling. After stretching and core exercises on the mat I also shared with Roxy, our miniature Schnauzer, I mapped out a route from the corner of the garden through the garage out around our bakkie parked at the door, and back. The dog refused to participate sitting on the mat acting like someone watching tennis, probably thinking her human has finally gone mad. I decided to attach her leash to her collar and she took the bait! We did 5000 steps until the washing machine finished its load. Feeling absolutely stoked I resolved to do better next time (to all you who can walk aroud your house: you are blessed) and not to worry too much about the wet grass we were carrying in onto the floor. Oros-Man, go find another target because this woman is having a glass of Orange juice. 

I had a few laughter filled conversations which more than made up for coffee out. This sunny day just shone into my heart when I picked up another feather at the kitchen door and later, working in the sun, I saw a little rainbow on my shoulder. Another silent reminder that God's got this. 

Lockdown 5

Lockdown Day 5 - 31March 2020

This morning we woke to the sound of soft rain on the roof and a cool breeze running through the house. This in itself is a blessing. Partly because winter is on the way and we can use all the rain we can get. But also because water symbolises so much more. Being a water baby my skin suddenly felt alive. The cool breeze felt like the announcement of winter, my favourite season. Double whammy! And of course, this called for winter food and brain gymnastics. With a lovely lamb shoulder in the slow cooker and sweet potatoes roasting in the oven, I set up my laptop close to the window where I could see the droplets twinkling on the grass and in the tree just outside. Lockdown suddenly sank in backed by a weird kind of compliance. Not acceptance that I can't go where I want when I want, but complying for the sake of every person around me. Not acceptance of no work no pay, but to comply and look for ways to reinvent what I do. Just like the rain washes down the old and dresses nature anew in sharp greens, I should allow this time of isolation to clear out the cobwebs of life. To unlock my brain with the kaleidoscope of possibilities my Creator intended for me. To slow down and listen...... and to synchronise with the rhythm of heaven. And to relax, because God's got this.