In a world full of hustle and bustle how often do we take time for ourselves? Time to reflect, to pray, to just be. For me, those moments are few and far between. Whether it's classes, service, being with friends, going out, work, studying, clubs/activities or time with family I am always busy. 24/7. This past weekend was different; sitting in an open field surrounded by mountains while a gentle, warm breeze caressed my skin, I was reminded of what it means to be silent. Needless to say, I've been running (both literally and figuratively) at full speed with very little time to be truly alone. This is not to say that I don't enjoy living with my housemates because quite the opposite is true: they're all awesome and I couldn't be happier. It's just not being able to go anywhere by myself for 6 weeks straight was a challenge that made me realize how fortunate I am to have independence back home in the States.
A little bit more about the weekend, my housemates and I went on a retreat to Volmoed (pronounced "full mut," meaning "full of courage") to meet with John W. De Gruchy, the author of a book we had to read, Reconciliation: Restoring Justice. Between arriving Friday evening and returning Sunday afternoon, John met with us 3 times to discuss different parts of his book, my favorite aspect being Christian Humanism (which actually isn't part of the book but it's his own personal belief). Put simply, at the heart of Christian Humanism is treating each other as human beings rather than labeling everyone according to their religion, denomination, or belief. I was attracted to this idea because it values a person as a whole and keeps an open perspective. It's definitely something I'm interested in researching further.
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| The view of Volmoed from on top of the mountain on Saturday |
My favorite part of the weekend, however, was sleeping in an open field under a true galaxy of stars, during which I saw 8 shooting stars, woke up to roosters crowing and and then hiked a mountain at 5:30 am to watch the sunrise on both Saturday and Sunday. There are absolutely no words to justly describe the beauty I witnessed. Oh, and I got to swim in a waterfall too, which was pretty cool :D
Sitting on top of the mountain, on the edge of a rock that overlooked all of Volmoed (don't worry Mama, I didn't fall off) I realized how truly blessed I am: to be here in this moment, to experience South Africa through this remarkable program, to share my adventures with 19 wonderful people whom I have the joy of living with, to have an unbelievably loving family back home, a fabulous support group of friends and family, the Chick Evans Scholarship that allows me to be at Marquette, and a fulfilling faith and relationship with God. I am completely at peace and I pray that I may sustain that mindset throughout my time in South Africa and transfer it back home.
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| Sunday sunrise view |
If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
Romans 12:18
Peacefully yours,
Janelle
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