Hidden Blessings

If I told you that being a YAGM is smooth sailing and never comes with any challenges not only would I be lying, but i'd be doing you all a major disservice as my audience. One of the challenges that I think has been most prevalent for me is finding the time to feed my introverted side. Though I can be a people person and be rather good at it when it calls for it in social situations, by nature I would consider myself an introvert. The individualistic culture of America plays to this trait in people quite well. It is rather simple for one to remove themselves, find quiet solitude, or whatever else alone time they so desire. The culture in South Africa however does not. Everything here is community based, and I literally mean everything. From the time you wake up in the morning to the time you go to bed at night you can have no worry of being under stimulated with human interaction. My situation is especially active in this department since I'm living with Moruti Mogale (Pastor). Our house is host to continuos in's and out's of congregation members at nearly every point of the day. For this, I am mostly incredibly grateful. It has allowed me to meet a lot of people and learn a lot I wouldn't have otherwise. Sometimes though, it can be a little exhausting.

The other day I was feeling especially tired for no real apparent reason and just kind of felt completely exhausted. There were people running around all over the house and all around outside and it was an extremely busy day even for our house. I found myself starting to get upset about all of the commotion and slightly resentful. I couldn't help but feel like the people around me just couldn't understand that someone might have a need for some peace and quiet every once and awhile and I honestly wished they would just go away. Then the world of self pity I was in the process of creating came crashing down around me. I was sitting on the front porch talking to my dad like we had many times before. Except this time he literally made me feel so incredibly overwhelmed with blessed feelings that I could hardly express myself. He started by telling me that he wished for me to stay with the family permanently for the remainder of my year here. Up unto this point it was never for sure or decided that I would be staying with them for the entire year. As if that wasn't enough, he followed that with informing me that all the work people had been and were doing on the old traditional African style house next to ours was so that I could move in there. He said that he really wanted me to stay with them and if I was going to do that I needed to have my own space.

In one fellow swoop he managed to not only make me feel incredibly blessed, but slightly guilty as well. Apparently people here "understand" me a lot better then I had started to give them credit for. And not only did they understand me, they were giving me an incredible gift and blessing when I wanted to doubt and question them.

 

How's that for a God moment for ya?

 

Peace

 

*written October 16th