depth

I feel like it’s fading away.
We’ve been back for a week, and I’m struggling with how to remain changed.
How do we keep living the stories?
Letting the life we saw change us?

Day 6 — Thursday, March 10th

This morning was a fresh gust of air. We enjoyed a peace-filled beautiful morning at the Nelson Mandela Square, had a really tasty breakfast, complete with cappuccinos, walked around art galleries, and took our time.

As the day unfolded, I can’t describe how sweet God was to me. He spoke to me through friends, and was gracious to me and loud to me. He had things planned for me that only He knew I needed… though I can’t go into details now of how He met me, (took care of me and reminded me that I am His — uniquely His —  crafted with purpose with specific gifts for this time,) I am deeply thankful. And, I am in love with our God. Who would have thought that in the middle of time spent being Awakening Artists, that God would so gently remind me that He knows my story and He knows what I need to hear?

Our evening held more than is able to be summed up in words. We adventured into Hillbrow, a downtown neighborhood. We partnered with an organization called MES to participate in their weekly soup&bread handout. There are a lot of homeless people in Hillbrow because they don’t have paperwork, can’t get a job, or one thing led to another and now they are without anything. I felt really wide eyed the whole night. One man from the streets began a conversation with me. I enjoyed hearing everything he had to say and tried to get a glimpse of his story.

He’s just a guy, I’m just a girl.
He lives under a bridge. I live in a basement apartment.
He dreams of going to America. I dream of going back to South Africa.
I wish I could have better understood him, or at least remembered his name.
But, I do know that it was a privilege to love him and serve him even if just for a moment.

God shows up all over the place… and often in the moments when we don’t expect Him. We just have to have open eyes to see Him. I don’t have words for the way He holds us, crafts us, leads us, writes our stories… all in ways deeper, more raw, and more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. Praise His Name.