Was It Worth It?, Part I

In the middle of a conversation I recently told a friend, "We used to have a lot... until we moved here". This comment was in reference to all the things we've lost since moving to South Africa - both the tangible and intangible. Among our losses is two cars, three handbags (which includes bank cards, I.D. docs and all contents), two iPods, our first jobs here, our reputation, the support of our church back home, our savings, over half of our salary, and a measure of security and certainty.

My friend then asked, "Was it worth it?" (pause...)

I gave a quiet, half-hearted "yes" in reply, but that question has haunted me for a few days now. Was it really worth it? Would I do it all over again?

This morning I woke up to a thunderstorm. After the thunderstorm, the birds came out in full force. There are more bird species in South Africa alone than all of North America.

Nature has a way of putting things into perspective, and few things in nature are as hopeful as the African sunrise. As I lay in bed, listening to the healing melody of the birds, I asked myself again, "Was it worth it?"

The answer was as loud as the chattering birds: Yes.

Posted with Blogsy