we live in such a rat race. we work for ourselves. last week, i worked harder than i ever have. i helped mix an insane amount of cement, by hand, in an old bathtub, with a huge hole in the bottom. we made a basketball court/hopscotch/four square court. all 12 of us worked together, each bringing our specific gifts and abilities. we finished it, by hand, and it looks amazing. i STILL have bruises on my thighs from digging up the sod. they aren't even fading yet:)
the work was hard, the days were long, the food was simple. but we did it, and it wasn't for us or about us. maybe that's the nature of a trip like that. a week of two of self sacrifice, and then you go back to your life hoping that something will change, knowing it won't. the thought of coming back and working to make money to pay for everything i have makes me a little nauseous. we even cut back on a lot. this summer, we cancelled our cable, got ride of texting, and are in the process of experimenting going down to one car. because we have more than we need. more than enough.
we spent 2 weeks living with people who had just enough, some days not even that. they were full of more joy than nearly anyone i know here in the states. they are grateful and thankful for what they have, and in that would still sacrifice whatever they have to help their neighbor.
our friend bekah lives on that farm in SA. she gets paid so little, only $250 a month, and lives frugally off of that. still, she ends up giving money to her friends on the farm when they have no food, or need medical expenses paid. she sacrifices the little that she currently has to help everyone else out. such an unamerican thing to do. now i wonder, what am i supposed to do?
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| Our new friends: Zulu, Rumbi, and baby Marvin |
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| Francis and his son Matthew |
Great post Dez. It’s wonderful to see the things we sometimes think, actually lived out.
ReplyDeleteI completely believe that the current way of life in America will lead to an implosion of our infrastructure. We can't go on living these empty lives, striving for more "stuff"
William Sloane Coffin said..... "If you win the rat race, you're still a rat."
I enjoyed reading this IMMENSELY..... How do we hold onto those moments ...the ones where it's very clear why we are here...how do we live our life surrounded by the excess-made easy....maybe a second at a time, a minute at time, an hour, a day......thank you Dez....I hope to read more in the future.
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