I’m sitting in the sand playing with sticks with a boy named Please and I’m thinking about the times I’ve had on the race thus far. I look around and see baby chicks chasing their mother, I see joyful boys playing the game of football (soccer, for all the Americans reading this), and I see my team members sitting around a table enjoying each others company and playing cards. I’m starting to grasp the concept of not having to have much to enjoy living life. I’m learning to find beauty in the simplest of things.
Being away for at least 3 months now, from the life that I’ve always lived, I’m taking notice to new things. Things that I have never taken the time to stop and bask in the beauty of. While I enjoy an amazing view, like seeing a sunset from Table Mountain in South Africa, I’ve come to realize that I can find the same sense of wonder seeing the sun simply shining down on flowers bringing out there true colors.
During our first month in Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa we didn’t experience the culture shock you would expect of someone who says they are going to be in Africa. In Swaziland we were up on top of a mountain for the entire month and things were pretty normal there. Up until this month in Mozambique my life has been almost as normal as it was 3 months ago when I was in Georgia packing my bags to leave. Here in Mozambique though things are a little different and not just in my circumstances, but within me. I have grown to love the simple.
“Contemplative simplicity isn’t a matter of circumstances; it’s a matter of focus.” (Ann Voskamp)
I’ve been able to remove my focus from what the world defines as being a bold, dashing adventure and refocus my gaze on being able to find joy in the simple. On the race you don’t need days full of things to do, rather you need days full of being able to sit and play in the sand with kids who enjoy building things out of sticks. You will need the ability to sit around a table for hours with your team and laugh or cry, whichever way the conversation goes. You will have to find joy in standing over a cutting board for an hour cutting tomatoes. These things should be able to bring a smile to your face and make you feel alive.
God is teaching me to embrace the minuscule things in life, and transforming the view on how I am to live this life. Simplicity is a rare gem that is easily looked over. Throughout the rest of this race, I pray for more sticks, sand, baby chicks, and card games. Continue to bring on the laughter, cooking, and the joy of kids playing. I want to live this life full of simplicity.
