Nervous Excitement

Tomorrow we leave for Louis Trichardt, a city in the Limpopo Province (which, technically, was renamed Makhado in 2002). It's about a five or six hour drive. The wedding is actually in Levubu, close to the Mozambique and Zimbabwe borders, and is an area historically populated by the Venda people. Interestingly, it is also the hub of South Africa's sub-tropical farming: guavas, litchis, papayas, bananas, avocados and macadamia nuts are commercially produced there.

We will be going to our first South African wedding. I'm so excited. I know that I have to dress up, I know the wedding ceremony will be in Afrikaans, but other than that I have no idea what to expect. I don't know how different weddings are here from American weddings (although, secretly, I hope they're less lavish and more about the words of the ceremony than the "stuff" of the ceremony).

But there's also this part of me that wonders if I'll commit some awful sort of social blunder... like showing up for a high school graduation in your underwear or something equally embarrassing. I wish that, when I moved here to South Africa, someone had handed me a cultural manual that covered every situation I could possibly encounter.

I'll let you know how the weekend goes...

Thoughts on Moth Wings

Like spider legs, moth wings are also quite varied and amazing. There is a moth on my kitchen wall - a very small moth - and yet its wing pattern is so intricate that I can't stop staring at it. I actually left it on my wall as a temporary "art display." I have been so fascinated by this moth that I'm distracted from my cooking (and I love to cook).

Why is it that, growing up in church, I heard about God as Father, God as Judge, God as Loving, Omnipotent, Sovereign, etc.... but never God as Artist? And why do we try so hard to label Him, to put Him in a box?

Someone once said that if we understood God completely, then we would be as smart as God, or rather, God would only be a smart as us. I don't know about you, but I would prefer God to be infinitely wiser and more clever than myself, which means there will be things about Him I can never hope to understand.... like moth wings and spider legs.

I find that when I give up trying to understand God and just marvel at His creativity, I am more passionate about wanting to know Him. When I accept that certain aspects of His character will forever be a mystery, I find Him more intriguing. And then God's love, which at times has been reduced to a science, becomes beautiful and amazing... I could stare at it for hours because it's so distracting. Like spider legs and moth wings.

Thoughts on Spider Legs

I've been thinking a lot about spiders today, probably because my daughter got bitten by one and her leg is swollen and quite sore.

I really don't like spiders. I don't mind rats, mice, snakes, lizards or even beetles, but spiders... no thank you. However, I was struck today by the thought that while all spiders have eight legs, spider legs are so incredibly varied. Some spiders have four legs pointing forwards and four legs pointing backwards. Some have legs evenly spaced in a circle. Some spiders have flat legs, some have bendy legs. Some spiders have hairy legs, while others have smooth legs. Some have striped legs. Some spiders have pairs of legs longer than others.

As much as I don't appreciate spiders, this says something of God's creativity. He could have just made standard spider legs - one model fits all - but instead He was incredibly artistic and ingenius. And if God is like that with something as small and seemingly insignificant as spider legs, then I am excited to know more of Him and how He is with the "bigger" things in life.

Thankful for Friends

Every now and then the cultural barriers are erased and we are bound by our laughter and humanity. Represented here are the nations of Namibia, Denmark and the United States.

Peanut Butter Sandwiches... With a Twist

I've had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, peanut butter and banana sandwiches, and peanut butter and honey sandwiches. But my friends here in South Africa have taken it to new levels. Here are some of their favourites:

• peanut butter and butter
• peanut butter and golden syrup
  
• peanut butter and fresh mango slices
• peanut butter, golden syrup and cheddar cheese slices

I am curious now about peanut butter sandwiches around the world. If you have any contributions, let me know!

Sunday Quote

"To choose God and live set apart is to choose a difficult life. It's just so much easier to believe in God and blend in with everyone else, whether that's blending into everyday Christianity or mainstream society. But choose carefully because halfway is just not good enough." - Andrew Marin, Love is an Orientation

Birthday Party Hangover

Yesterday was my daughter's 12th birthday. To celebrate, she invited five of her friends to a sleepover at our house.

I understand now that the word "sleepover" is a misnomer. Girls don't actually sleep at sleepovers. The goal, apparently, is to stay up all night giggling, talking, watching movies, and to leave a trail of nail varnish and popcorn through the house.

And THEN, when they finally fell asleep, they still woke up at the crack of dawn! I cooked, I cleaned, I entertained, I let them give me a makeover (I looked like the Bride of Frankenstein), I jumped on the trampoline with them, and now...

I just want my bed. And my teddy bear.