Sometimes God’s blessings are so magnificent – so unexpected – so heavy to carry – that I panic. I feel overwhelmed and uneasy and the gratitude comes out hot and stomach-flipping and pinch-myself surreal in a terrified sort of way. That’s the week that’s been. As we say under these spring time African skies: Eish. Ngiyabonga kakhulu, Nkosi Phezulu.

This week’s 39 things (actually 41 again – might even get to 2013 gifts before Christmas):

1368 Too much freelance work at the moment but a godsend to refill the coffers a little after house renovations

1369 Hearing about how much a friend was celebrated on her birthday, because of how much she deserves it

1370 Meeting the buyers of our house to chat about keys and recycling days and kids and common ground

1371 Two weeks of relief teaching at HCS. Bring. It. On.

1372 Editing the St Alban’s 50^th Anniversary book – the laughs and tears – the tug of College and feeling part of something bigger than me

1373 The boys’ new room – bunk beds secreted away in their hidey-hole alcove

1374 So many moving-house meals and milk tarts from our fantastic friends and family

1375 Staffroom tea like the good old days

1376 The Hofmeyrs dropping off chocolate cake and yellow tulips to welcome us to ‘this side of Selikats Causeway!’

1377 Free wi-fi at Madison’s so this post will hit your inbox at 8h00 on Monday

1378 Telkom teaching me patience and acceptance and contentment

1379 Spring green on branches across the city

1380 Scott eating rice crispies at a new kitchen table

1381 Kirsty scrubbing floors with me and bringing plants and food and love

1382 Cam deeply intent on ice-cream and jelly at Granny’s house

1383 Sunday lunch braai at the Crewe-Browns with super awesome people

1384 My new writing room –

1385 And dreaming of the hours I’ll spend there

1386 Seeing people I know in coffee shops

1387 Watching for greenness in our big new garden – teaching me hope and patience and potential

1388 Scott showing people around the house – so excited – ‘This our home! This our new home!’

1389 Nats on my couch asking for more coffee

1390 September – I just love this month

1391 New audio books that had the boys transfixed while I unpacked boxes

1392 The boys exploring their ‘secret house’ at the bottom of the garden –

1393 And Cam going kind of Enid Blyton on me with: ‘Maybe we can put some shutters in the window!’

1394 Plants to fill empty spaces with life

1395 Shale and Coral helping me to unpack books (and saying we have too many)

1396 My mom holding Scott’s hand and heart through the move – exploring the movers’ truck, watching them load and unload, supplying Marmite rolls on demand

1397 Samantha taking Cam to school the morning of our move –

1398 And peeling off my Emily Dickinson wall tattoo –

1399 And fixing it to a new wall in a new home

1400 Craig and Cam inseparable playing dress-up with fireman helmets and ninja masks and pirate swords

1401 A southern boubou calling in the garden

1402 Bruce arriving in his slippers

1403 Murray’s tireless home-making efforts with locks and keys and sprinklers and fertilisers and hammers and nails and jokes and ridiculousness and hugs and perspective

1404 Lola’s muddy paw prints on the tiles that speak of space and the outdoors and an African garden

1405 Red kettle whistling in a new kitchen

1406 Cam’s drawing of Meagan wearing angel wings – how he loves her!

1407 More scratches on the piano from another move to add to its history

1408 The gift of a beautiful home – a place of peace where Christ is King

Thanks for journeying with me, and for sharing your gifts – both difficult and delightful – from time to time. May our good God – the source of light and peace and hope – heap upon you his blessings as you count them all around you.

 

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