Getting used to this...

All day long, I’ve had a song in my head by one of my favorite poetic lyricists, David Ryan Harris. It’s called Get Used to This. There’s no way I could be in a bad mood, hear that song, then still be in a bad mood. I just love it! I always dance and sing to it! It’s in my head b/c I’m in Durban, South Africa in a state of constant intoxication at what paradise I’m enveloped with and I could totally get used to this. Some lyrics to wet your palate and describe my thoughts:

When you wrap your arms around me
I’m oh so glad you found me
I want to spend my life getting used to this
Wrap your arms around, tell me its alright to dream

Oh Durban, I’m ‘oh so glad you found me!’ If Durban were a man and he was trying to impress me, he’d have won me over the first day easy. The secret is entrancing all five senses! They have been stirred to the utmost and we’re all captivated. Already, we’re trying to plan out our next quick weekend getaway! ‘When are the schools out? Somebody get me a calendar!’

I can’t remember the last time I’ve been so overwhelmed with appreciation at God’s favor for so many reasons. Perhaps Durban is so wonderful to us b/c we’ve just been in a 3rd world country for nearly two months and life has been more challenging than normal in Swaziland. Or perhaps its just THAT GREAT! I can’t believe tomorrow is our last day here. I mean, who are we to land this place and all that encompasses it? (Answer is ‘no one.’ Glory to God!)

Durban has awakened me to another side of God’s creativity in seeing more of His masterpiece. Everything seems in harmony here; the breeze, the water, the birds… This morning I was sitting on our porch overlooking the Indian ocean and I couldn’t stop watching three birds to my right chase each other around the bushes. I bet they were young’uns playing a little bird game. They looked so fun! If I were a bird, I’d want to play with them.

Since I can’t bring you all here, I’ll at least describe it in relation to my five senses, so you can at least imagine. I love imagination games. Hopefully you do too.

Sight – It is a breathtakingly gorgeous day! From our porch, I can see the Indian ocean until it meets the horizon. The gulf here is feisty! It’s not like the passive waves of the Destin shores. This beach commands your attention with its ferocious under toe and loud, crashing waves. If the waves were singers, they’d be more like a Luciano Pavarotti than a Mandy Moore. Today, my friend Becca tried to play with the waves and got body slammed into the sand. Don’t mess with these waves! She was our example. Thanks Becca. They are not toy poodle type waves - they are rabid dobermans! I tried to walk down the coast peacefully without getting too wet b/c the water is cold, but the waves kept stretching out its arms, pulling me in. They are persistent! I like it!

Touch – The sand here is different than any sand I’ve felt before. It seems softer. When I first set foot on the beach in my journey to find a perfect spot today, I was tickled by the tiny pebbles under my feet and I couldn’t help but laugh outloud! Then when I walked down towards the water, my feet sank so deep into the muddy wet sand. For some reason, I just wanted to lay down and bury myself in it, but when I had this idea today, I was by myself and thought assistance would be key for a good partial sand burial.

Smell – It doesn’t smell like body odor and corn, is all I have to say. It smells fresh and clean and salty, like a tropical paradise should. Sometimes the absence of smell is sweeter than smells themselves. Particularly the above smells I mentioned.

Taste – Yummy to our tummies!! Durban has delectable eateries. Each night we’ve found a new favorite dish. In Swaziland, we’re used to canned tuna and chicken breasts. Here we’ve found sushi and salads! Both of which I haven’t seen at a restaurant in Swaziland. We’ve spent all of our food allowance, but it was worth it! God speed our May allowance. J

Hear – As I’ve said, the waves here are feisty, so when they crash over the rocks (there are many huge rocks), they make a great sound. We’ve been sleeping with our sliding glass doors open just slightly, so we hear the lullabies of the waves at night. If we open them too wide, the monkeys will get in and ransack the place. We’ve been warned about the monkeys behind our house, but I haven’t gotten to see one yet. Aside from the waves, there are always birds singing too. As I type, there is a symphony of singing birdies to my right. Sometimes I wonder what they’re singing about: a new worm, some new sticks for their nest, the wifey’s pregnant with quintuplets…

Sight, touch, smell, taste, hear, and you. I’ve tried to involve you too with my description of our holiday haven. Hopefully you also feel like you’re with us now! I want to be radically inclusive! When you get stressed or annoyed at work, just pop a chocolate in your mouth, read back over these words, and reminisce over the time we all had in Durban. It was a smash of a time, wasn’t it?