“. . . Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
~ Matthew 6:34 ~
Today I am sitting on the balcony of a beautiful hostel on the beach of the Indian Ocean, with a gorgeous view. My surroundings are quite a contrast to where I lived for the past week. Yesterday morning concluded our stay in the rural village of Tshabo and now we have a few days to recoup before heading into our one-week Stellenbosch homestay on Sunday. As I enjoyed a hot shower, a delicious breakfast, and a run on the beach all this morning, I found myself pondering the differences between Tshabo and this hostel-resort. I am only an hour away from where my family in Tshabo lives, and yet have they ever been to this beach? What an overwhelming sense of privilege I feel to be enjoying this place halfway around the world when my mama, tata, and sisis one hour away may never [or rather, seldom] experience the beauty of this ocean and beach. . . I also wondered: Why was I so content in Tshabo this week? What was it about living with less, surrounded by the rural beauty of God’s creation, singing praises all day long, dancing with my sisters, and living day by day that was so beautiful?
I keep coming back to the words of my favorite Nichole Nordeman song, especially the last line:
Daily bread, give us daily bread
Tucked away beneath our sturdy roofs,
Or maybe not, not today, maybe You’ll provide in other ways,
And if that’s the case . . .
We’ll give thanks to You with gratitude,
A lesson learned to hunger after You,
That a starry sky offers a better view if no roof is overhead,
And if we never taste that bread.
O the differences that often are between
Everything we want and what we really need.
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