It's definitely not a New Year's Resolution. And since it's 9:58pm on a Tuesday, it's not really the resolution of a new week, or even a new day. All the better, maybe... Anyway. I've realised that this blogging thing frightens me a little. Not that I'm surprised, to be honest. I think I always knew I'd struggle with only wanting to post things that are profound, stimulating, moving, funny or beautifully-crafted. Preferably all of the above. But I also definitely knew that that isn't going to happen. In fact, I'm growing more and more certain that this blog is going to be filled with pretty ordinary stuff. But I think that's OK. God sometimes chooses to work in brilliance and lightning bolts, but so often He often teaches us through our little struggles, joys and observations of the world.
(And, as for the "beautifully-crafted" bit... well, here's my first confession: I've already used thesaurus.com in writing this blog post. I'm a little embarrassed by this, but yet feel it's worth mentioning, because I learnt a new word as soon as I opened the website! Pretty cool. So, here's the challenge for today: who knows what "paregmenon" means? No Googling or dictionary-ing allowed!)
So, the point of all of this is this: my little Tuesday night resolution is that I'm going to try to blog every day for a week. An impulsive resolution, and to be honest, one that I'm going to hold lightly, for two reasons:
a) because I'm still a bit scared of blogging; and (more significantly),
b) I'm not sure about the internet's cooperation with this!
But I'm gonna give it a go. We'll see what the week brings...
So, I'm going to start simply with my top 5 things I've learnt or loved this week.
In no particular order.
1. The beauty of hospitality.
Not really a new realisation (some of my Aussie friends also demonstrate this vividly to me), but it's one that I'm growing to appreciate and value more and more. I started at Dadeldhura Hospital less than a week ago, and tonight, my room-mate and I were invited to dinner by one of the nurses at the hospital. Like us (in the guesthouse), she lives on the hospital grounds, and has a little quarter near the office. We gathered with a few of her other friends, sat on her living room floor on cushions, spread out some newspapers like a tablecloth on the ground, and had a delicious meal of dal bhat and some fellowship. We chatted and laughed a bit, ate, and headed home pretty early. It doesn't have to be high-stress, the food and repartee doesn't have to be spectacular, and your house doesn't have to be perfect. It's just sharing what we have, and loving each other.
2. My new room-mate.
At the end of last week, I acquired a room-mate a couple of days after I arrived. She's a beautiful (inside and out!) young woman from Germany, a doctor, and here for 2.5 months as part of her Masters in International Health. She's gentle, unceasingly generous and sweet. I already love her and am sorry that I'm not staying here longer with her!
3. Cooking your own bread is a mixed blessing.
It's super fun, it tastes amazing (especially just out of the oven!), and it's lovely to share it for brekky. The big downside is that it insists on just sitting there on the bench, begging me to eat it. I've had three slices just sitting here!! And that's after our yummy big dal bhat dinner. Hmm. (Is self-control a virtue?? :S)
4. My Shower Tonight.
Yeah, I know. Ground-breaking. But seriously, it was brilliant. The internet told us that tonight it's "-2C; feels like -6C", and whilst bucket showers with freshly boiled water has been great for the last few months, tonight we had showers with a real hot water service and fantastic water pressure. Sitting here with super clean hair, a cuppa and listening to the tapping of light hail on the roof, I feel warm and fuzzy inside and out.
5. Redemption.
As a child, I didn't think a whole lot about the word "redeem". Bit of a Christiany word that seemed to pop up in hymns that were always way too high for me to sing properly. But, amongst many wonderful truths that God continues to teach me, "being redeemed" has shot right up to the top of my list. I was reminded again this week that I'm not my own, for I was bought with a price. (1 Cor 6:19-20) And how expensive the price that was paid. What a great reminder of the undeserved, unfathomable love of God, and how I pray that I can grab this truth with all my strength, to the destruction of my tendency to believe that my life is mine.
Well, for better or worse, that was today! I hope that you're also loving and learning many things everyday - even though they may seem small or insignificant.
See you tomorrow... x
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