Simple things in life I enjoy

Some times we look for major things in our life to happen in order to enjoy life. But I think it’s the small things that bring enjoyment to our lives. Very often the things taking us by surprise, small things. So here is a list of things that I thoroughly enjoy, and would do over and over again, if possible.

• The state between still sleeping and waking up, when almost everything is still quiet, the birds are singing, and I am still in a dream which is already reality.
• Smelling various dinners while driving down the street on my faithful Vuka scooter.
• Hitting a down-the-line forehand return winner off Abri’s first serve (which is a solid serve).
• Good conversation with good friends over a good meal, or even a simple meal (which often happens in the Jooste and Fisher homes).
• Driving through a rain puddle (the bigger the better) with my car and spraying as much water as possible.
• Holding a 2-3 year old, and often surprisingly a 5-year old, in my arms and getting a hug around the neck with a small head on my shoulder.
• Seeing someone smile and relax in an unguarded moment.
• Hearing God’s voice.
• Having a toddler playing with my finger while he/she sits comfortably on my lap.
• Proper chai tea.
• A good cry when tears flow freely.
• Gazing at the sky during a new moon phase and spotting shooting stars. (Hey, that is spontaneous alliteration.)
• Eating a Roman’s chef salad while the sun is setting.
• Clean hands.
• People-watching at airports, preferably airports not in my own country.
• Mud between my toes in a river/dam.
• The feeling after a good hard run.
• My feet firmly on the ground and my head not spinning anymore after a long flight. Love the different countries and cultures, not so much the process of getting there.
• Receiving an unexpected phone call from a friend who just wants to chat.
• Getting to know my colleagues in a relaxed environment, eating breakfast, lunch and dinner together. A meal is a wonderful thing to see beneath masks.
• Laughing.
• An ace from the advantage side, down-the-line, in the corner. Agh, beautiful.
• Having humorous moments with God, not being able to resist cracking up with laughter.

Knowing God

Lately I’ve been challenged, and left with more questions than answers, on how well I know God. And I’m not talking about knowing attributes of God, being able to name a list of things that I’ve picked up from books, teachings, conversations or songs. I’m talking about knowing God intimately and personally, originally and authentically. Such that I can see Him in everything around me, hear Him in the conversations around me, hear Him in the quiet around me, experience Him in the busyness of office life. I’ve come to realise that I may ask God to display His glory in magnificent ways, for the purpose of Him being revealed to me and others around me more clearly. It is not so that another great story can be told, it is so that we can grasp Him just a little more clearly. I want to ask Him for impossible things, because every time I do, I get to know Him in a different way. It is a knowing like I know my mother. I know she will always have food ready if I want to visit, because she’s my mother and that’s the way she is. I know she will ask me how my sister’s doing, because that is how my mother is. I know her; I know the sound of her stride as she walks down the corridor - that quick staccato - or the taste of her "very-hot-and-little-milk" coffee. Don’t always ask me to explain to you why I know it’s my mother, I just know. And that is exactly how I want to know God. I want to hear when He comes down the street; I want to taste Him in my chai tea; I want to recognise Him asking through a friend how my running is coming along. Sometimes I will be able to describe Him with words, and sometimes I won’t be able to describe Him. You can put God into words without knowing Him, and you can know Him without being able to put Him into words. I want to know Him, not know about Him. Personally know Him as a Father, as sovereign, as merciful, as healthy, as funny, as creative, as consistent, sufficient, and all the other gazillion things about Him. I do find it ironic though, that the more I study about Him, with the motive of finding Him, the more I actually discover Him. I mentioned earlier that I don’t want to know about Him, I want to know Him...and yet, He is gracious in letting me get to know Him when I learn about Him. This is the mysterious God that I have the privilege of getting to know, day by day, friend by friend, flower by flower, miracle by miracle.