Lockdown 41

Lockdown Day 41 - 6 May 2020

About wings and things 2.

When I got my wings at the arts festival, I was drawn to them for two reasons. The first was the sheer fantasy I am sure all girls harbour which is to be an angel or fairy. The second reason was a girl called Inecke. She was an integral part of our family's life, also being the eldest's best friend. Their friendship caused the rest of our families to become very close and personal friends. When Inecke was diagnosed with Leukemia our worlds were shattered. She was in so many ways a reminder of who I was as a little girl, plus we shared a black or white view of life and the world. We were both either passionately in love with something or we passionately detested it. Inecke's favourite colour was purple and she absolutely loved animals, angels and wearing 'wings' when she danced with all her might in front of her Jesus. Through all the years of chemo, remission, radiation and a bone marrow transplant, we saw the strength of a Godly warrior; a warrior whose equal was only known in the angelic realms as Michael the archangel. In the words of Romans 5: 3b-4, she taught us, "that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope." Her hardship showed us how perseverance looked and how the character she exhibited gave us all hope. Hope in all the things that create treasures in heaven and give us insight and perspective on all things that carry eternal value. Fond memories include a day she and I spent at the Spur to eat one of her favourite dishes, their crumbed mushrooms. She sat opposite me and we talked like old souls (at only 6 years old, she was wise beyond her years) about life, love and heaven. But the conversation imprinted on me forever was one evening when she was on her way to bed and I went to say goodnight. She was on her knees and I knelt with her. She was very quiet and kind of reverent. She looked me in the eyes and said, "Jesus was just here. He touched my head. I think He wanted to come and take me home with Him." 

Not long after that He did just that and she went home with Him. 

So today, on her heavenly birthday, I want to dedicate this blog to her and remember anew what she taught me. I want to thank God for connecting us in that special way and reminding me what the value of life is. And get on my knees and say sorry for all the times I acted like a child, forgetting what is really important. 

So tonight Truth found me; therefore I shall dance with Him to the rhythm of heaven, wearing my wings and hoping they will be dancing along in heaven (That's if she's not doing warrior work with Michael😇). 

And thank God He's got this. 

Lockdown 40

Lockdown Day 40 - 5 May 2020

About wings and things. 

One of the things I came across when sorting my winter clothing was my bling jeans. Sunday morning I donned the jeans and took a quick stroll with the dog, feeling like a million dollars. Lo and behold, a feather covered in the morning dew lay glistening in the grass near the dam. Yesterday, after cleaning house, I found a very fine little charcoal feather in the middle of the kitchen floor. Today, while in a phone call, I was standing in front of the window. Out of nowhere a little white feather dwindled from the sky, leisurely bouncing in the air, coming to rest on the floor of the green room. I started keeping all the feathers in an empty chai tea bottle. Every time I put a feather inside, the subtle chai wafts into my space and causes me to breathe.... and smile. Then I look up and silently mouth, "Thank You."  

Another thing I found in my cupboard were a pair of wings I once got at an arts festival many moons ago. Also wore them to get a smile out of my housemates and how good it felt! While sitting outside with my wings and bling, I knew the rhythm of heaven was all around me. And is everyday. And it took wings and bling to revive my faith in such a way that I knew for sure the feathers are also proof that God is literally with me and knows every little detail. From here to eternity. 

Supernatural does not mean not natural. It means amped up natural; the laws of nature still in place but "showing off" in a God kind of way.  Supernatural is God's "normal". Supernatural is what we need in this time- to tap into this reality we need to hold onto the One holding that law in His hand. Everything is going to be all right, because God's got this.

Lockdown 39

Lockdown Day 39 - 4 May 2020

A while ago somebody sent me an inspiring video recorded by Dr Bertice Berry. She told the story of how she worked as a cleaner when she was a young girl and how she would speak to the older ladies on the bus every day and ask them for their best cleaning tips. One of them told her "always clean the light" because that way the rest looks better and brighter. Look for the YouTube link below and take the time to watch it. She is an amazing speaker and easy to listen to. 

Today I started out tired and not in the mood for cleaning house. I prayed silently for inspiration and remembered her. So, while listening to her I started my day. I really wasn't going to clean the lights. The only ones I normally clean are the reading lights and one wall mounted one that I can reach. I never even spared a thought for the room lights suspended from the ceilings. As I moved through the house I became aware of the dust on those lights, and suddenly saw the wall mounted stairwell light looked really bad. 

Without wanting to disturb my housemates who were both online at the time, I pulled out my old and trusted wooden ladder (the stories this ladder could tell!) and, after finishing the house, silently negotiated the height of these lights as well as my balance on this ladder. The builders who built these matchboxes really wanted to make life difficult for a cleaner. And the room lights were like trying to solve a riddle. It has parts that need to slide off, and balancing on a ladder does not make it any easier to solve. 

But all the time I heard Bertice's soothing voice spurring me on to keep going because when you put that light on again, the clean house will shine brighter! Without spoiling her closing thoughts, I just want to say a few things. The immense satisfaction of actually getting it right and done, as well as reaching the stairwell light with a mop while on the ladder, instilled in me a new kind of strength and purpose I have no words for. 

Later, I found myself waiting for evening so I can really see the effect. They were brighter and whiter, and made the matchbox look wide and spacious. All because I climbed a ladder and wiped every little part clean. This was a few years' dirt that easily came off. To me it felt like the spiritual buildup of 'stuff' in my life started to dull my spirit, and this action today symbolized the re-energising of my true light bringing qualities! Jesus Himself said, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall by no means walk in darkness, but possess the light of life.” Who better to hold on to than Him who shines brightly so we can see clearly He's got this. 

Enjoy the video! 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=share&v=9q9ICMl3Elg

Lockdown 38

Lockdown Day 38 - 3 May 2020

The things we don't do as much during lockdown as we did before can be one of those life's embarrassing moments. Like when you go to an ATM for cash for the first time in 5 weeks. Putting your bank card in the machine the wrong way around and you begin to doubt what your pin is. Or, you go shopping, offer to get a few things for older people and then misunderstand the word Burger (a western cape newspaper) on the list for hamburger patties! 

But the things we got used to during lockdown which we don't normally do in public....... now there's a few funnies hiding in the wings. Like going to work for the first time with your slippers on. Or driving the wrong way, because after nearly 42 days (remember this is how long it takes to change a habit) the grocery store route is imprinted in your brain. Or forgetting those non-essential (I'm starting to hate that term) things at home such as your good old trusted lip balm or perfume. While we're on this topic, who decided perfume/aftershave  is non-essential just because it has alcohol in it? Is it considered essential to smell like a bull at an auction when you share a matchbox with others? And who decided pedicures are non-essential? Is it considered essential to be able to rake the leaves with your coarse heels? Who decided underwear is not essential? Really? 

Life hack #1: “Learn to accept your housemate unconditionally.......and remember to wear a mask.” Speaking of which, I know a mask is mandatory and I agree with it. But on a personal note I will have to accept that my hair and face will not look the way I want it to. Life hack #2: “How to wear your mask so you’re not offered a role in Silence of the Lambs.” And another thing, we will have to wear a mask for a long, long time. I suspect even after Lockdown. How is that for changing a habit. 

There goes our normal dress code. Wearing a blinged mask will definitely not soften the look. People who wear glasses should consider wearing a face screen instead, as a mask causes the glasses to steam up all day. While shopping I experienced my peripheral vision was also impaired. Life hack #3: “How to walk with your mask without getting injured.......get a walking stick. The whiter the better.” And if and when we are eventually allowed to be in small groups for work, training or even church, have you ever wondered how we will read each other’s body language without full face expression? Comedians/ speakers and actors won’t be able to ‘read’ their audience as effectively. Life hack #4: “Brush up on your hand signals. Make sure you don’t amputate your ear.” Shakespeares’s well known question is about to be changed, “To be understood, or not to be understood, that is the question.” I already see the latest course advertised online: ‘Corporate communication unmasked forever.’ And for those who have felt they’ve always been misunderstood , now is your time to shine!

Life hack #5: “Get a set of flashcards to make sure you’re correctly understood.”

Jokes aside, this new ‘normal’ is here to stay. Whether you feel like playing survivor or not. So let’s stick to the rules and find some fun in this. Have joy even if you don’t feel it. Have faith even if you feel down. And remember, God’s got this.

Lockdown 37

Lockdown Day 37 - 2 May 2020

Yesterday's talk of surfing got my brain going and today, after shopping through waves of people, I would like to tell you about the science of the perfect wave. Yes, surfing is a science. Whether you stand or lie on a board, the science for the serious surfers stays the same. First you have to know where between low and high tide lies your sweet spot. You need to be surfing thát long and know ‘your’ strip the best. Also you need to know the currents in conjunction with the wind and the weather. It is much like knowing your own neighbourhood. The locals all know where the best butcher, coffee or home produce can be found. Someone from another place just driving through will not know where to go for unusual treats, because they haven’t lived there long enough to know. Likewise when you surf you get to know the water. When the timing is right, my favourite time is Dawn Patrol (surfing first thing in the morning). Once in the water, there are a couple of things only surfers know about. People like me are known as ‘Betty’, which is the oldest surf ‘speak’ from the 1960's for a girl surfer. I don’t wear a wetsuit because, you guessed it, I love to “freeze”. The first 10 minutes you go from cold to frozen, which means you don’t really feel anything. Easiest way is to duck dive underneath the breakers till you get to where the waves break. This takes  about 90 to 120 minutes. Depending on the surf, you can come out a “Frube” (been in the water but did a zero - no waves caught) or you can come out ”Mushed” (the waves disintegrate every time you’re in the pocket- that place you are when you’re riding a wave). But oh, when you get that perfect wave, especially when it’s a glassy one, that is just the coolest feeling ever. From the the moment you move into the clean pocket and then the exhilarating drop down the see-through water is inexplicable joy. This just makes me go back for more. After about 7 waves the “Lull” comes. This is when the whole part where the waves break just goes quiet for a while before the swell starts up again. One day I was riding out a particularly quiet and long lull. I saw a shoal of silver flying fish come past. I dropped into the water to see them underwater and then shoot up and out of the water as if they were flying. What an incredible experience. Not long ago after I had started using a wooden board after a back operation, I found myself on a wooden board between longboarders. They were fascinated by this Betty and one of them even swopped boards with me not believing a wooden board could stay afloat. In surfer speak: Dude, I will always feel like a Betty in baggies screaming cowabunga after climbing a glassy wall and dropping smoothly into the pocket to catch a totally awesome ride! Mm hm aha YEAH 💃. 

So tonight I lift up a praise to God who makes glassy waves and speaks to me in the lull through silver flying fish, who invigorates my spirit and reminds me that He can do the impossible. Dude, He won't bail on you, He's the Perfect Wave! 

Lockdown 36

Lockdown Day 36 - 1 May 2020

May. Oh what a wonderful start to the beginning of the end of Lockdown! Its going to take some doing but we can do this! Especially now that we are on outdoor exercise parole. Waking up was easy and the air filled with expectation. Even Roxy the dog knew something was up. When she saw her leash being lifted off its perch she was ready to go. Forgotten were all the 'what the?' days when we were walking around the car. And oh, the feeling when we turned the corner and set off down the road, Roxy did a little skipping, showing off her happiness. The air was fresh and cold on our skin and the buff (my regular winter walking attire) provided comfort around our faces. And of course, the other walkers, joggers and cyclists were also out there, everyone in their own head space. "I can do this a little longer", I thought.

Slowly I felt my body relax into a familiar rhythm and my breathing making the most of the freshness of the morning. Back at home, sitting in the sun with my coffee, feeling alive, I am reminded of the feeling of 'defrosting' in the sun after a 2 hour surf in 10°C sea. The

best feeling ever. I summarily decided tomorrow I will be out at 6 bells. Hardly a substitute for swimming, but comes close when the cold envelops my body. Somehow this energises me in a way I can't logically explain. Maybe I have a hidden ancient lineage of Finnish blood, but I have recently learned that their ice swinming started as early as the 17th century and actually aids winter resilience, lowers blood pressure and stress, improves circulation and actually prevents common illnesses and relieves pain. That is, if you love it and it's your thing. One of the reasons I love the cold is because it cools me down for the day. Literally. (Hot flushes is NO joke). It's the closest I can come to swimming. How's that for blondie logic! 

And of course, having my quiet time and seeing the sunrise is an added bonus. This is where my strength comes from, spending time with my Creator in the golden hour of His creation. Knowing that He's got this.

Lockdown 35

Lockdown Day 35 - 30 April 2020

To start something new means you need to let go of something. This applies to almost everything in life.  Being in Lockdown indefinitely (and this is basically what a leveled Lockdown means) has amped up this life truth. Not only are we looking at a different normal, but we are also letting go or mourning what was. 

I keep asking myself what I would've done if level 4 did not allow outdoor exercise. I would've been terribly upset, that's no lie. But I had no control, nor would I in future have any control over this. Áfter the tantrums I was going to stand before a choice. Choose a different approach or break the law and face the consequences. A different  perspective takes more blood sweat and tears than breaking the law. For people like me who have trouble changing course from what I believe to be the only way, it would've been a war. An inner battle which would poison my outer life. Fortunately it wasn't meant to be and I will be walking my dog tomorrow morning. But, because the control is not in my hands, I still need to adopt a different attitude from here on. I shall choose life daily, lift my praises to the heavens and take time to be with God, even if things are bad out there and humankind looks as if they're fighting a losing battle in a war nobody thinks is a war. 

War or not, I shall stay with God, because He is the only One who is the Way forward. And, He's really got this.