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Sunday, February 22, 2015

A Father's Love

The moment I explained the miraculous news to my girls that my father was coming to visit us in Swazi, Ayanda literally screamed and jumped up and down on her bed like a six year old.  After calming down and collecting herself, she beamed, “I knew he would come!  I dreamt he would!” 

Never ever ever in my wildest dreams would I expect my dad to come visit me in Swazi.  First of all, he hates the heat.  For my dad, being cranky in the heat is like an apple colored red; it is just a fact of life.  Second of all, my dad hates crowds and being surrounded by lots of people.  Well, if a house full of fifteen girls isn’t crowd enough, anywhere in town there are loads of people and lots of stop and go traffic.  Now, combine those two together—heat and crowds—and how do you think that would go over?  Third, my dad has never flown overseas nor has ever desired to leave his homeland.  Lastly, he never liked the idea of my move to Swazi, and we certainly didn’t have that “daddy’s girl” relationship which one would think would be the reason for him to come and visit. 

To be honest, I was completely satisfied with the idea that only my mother would come to Swazi; in fact, I told my dad not to come because I knew it’d be a miserable trip for him. 

So, after the initial shock of the news that my dad was indeed coming with my mom to visit me for two weeks, I decided to warn the girls, who were ecstatically excited about meeting my dad, “Mkhulu” (Grandpa).  “Girls, just to warn you, he might be a little intimidating.  He’s going to need his space,” I cautioned, knowing how overwhelming the girls can be.  “He hates the heat and might get a little cranky…” and I continued explaining how he might be a little more disengaged than the female crowd they’re used to.

“Mkhulu is so funny!” Ayanda giggled in the car ride when we first picked up my parents in Johannesburg.  A few days later, she commented (while my dad was right there), “He’s not at all what you described!”  I had to then explain that this, too, was in a way like a new part of Dad I had never expected. 

Not only did my girls absolutely adore him, but Benny loved having another man around.  When Dad was working on the fridge on the front porch, Benny didn’t want to be anywhere else other than right next to my dad, watching and “helping” him work.  My dad was completely transformed.  He wasn’t the dad of the flesh, he was Abba, “Daddy” of the Spirit.  He was a direct reflection of God as Father, and it was indeed miraculous.  I could hardly believe my time with him was real life.  As much as it benefited me, my greatest thrill was seeing how impactful he was with my girls.  Out of 15 girls, only one still has her father in the picture, and it’s not a nice picture.  Most of these girls have never even met their fathers, a few had to run from their fathers, and others’ fathers passed away.  But here was a picture of a father, willing to take risks he claimed he never would and travel a long ways to a place that he never desired…just to see his daughter, to be with her, encourage her, and love her and her Swazi children.  Amazing. 

My dad not only was transformed as a father figure, but also as a husband. There are far, far too many women in this culture that are abused by their husbands or other men and let it happen, as if it is a fact of life and they can do nothing to stop it.  Women not only seemingly “accept” abuse, but they also make excuses for it.  Not a single one of my girls has any idea of what a marriage really should be.  In fact, most of them say they don’t want to marry a Swazi because he will just beat them or cheat on them.  But with my dad present, these girls and the women from the workshop, were able to see a picture in the flesh of what God designed marriage to be.  My parents’ marriage is not perfect, just as no marriage is.  But for two weeks, it was a perfect reflection of Christ and his Church.  It was my mom and my dad working together to love me, support me, and glorify God daily.  It was in the way my dad showed affection for my mom in public and the way my mom was mesmerized by how my dad was interacting with the kids, particularly a dirty one with a running nose.  What my mom and dad didn’t know was how this left a lasting impression on anyone who saw them together. 

During the two weeks, my remarkably talented mother started a workshop for the prostitute women of Mangwaneni who were seeking a way out.  These women in particular come from abusive relationships, and most of them have babies.  During these workshops, as my mom was teaching the women sewing and jewelry making, etc., my dad would busy himself with these women’s children, helping to entertain them while Mom worked with the mothers.  After one of the workshop days ended, we were all hanging around outside just talking.  My mom and dad were talking and laughing together, and I don’t know exactly what they were saying or doing, but it was enough for one of the women (a complete stranger to them) to giggle to her friend, “Wow, they look so in love!”   

What an amazing testimony to both of my parents.  But more importantly to Our Father’s love who is so present in both of them.  My dad never cries, but when he left Swazi, he left with tears in his eyes and a love-soaked heart. I saw my dad transformed.  I saw our lives transformed by a father's love.
  
When my dad hugged me, I knew I was being held by God the Father.    




Saturday, February 21, 2015

A Love That Reaches

Is there really a love that reaches
Beyond my broken pieces 
To hold me as I am 
And give me strength to stand?
Somebody, please tell me this is so
Because I reach
For a love that makes me whole.

They said he might walk free,
This man that stripped the life from me
Because I couldn’t talk in court - 
Instead my tears, they poured. 
But what did they expect?
I’m a 10-year-old with nothing left,
Except the nightmare that reminds me
I’ll always be deemed unworthy.

Is there really a love that reaches
Beyond my broken pieces 
To hold me as I am 
And give me strength to stand?
Somebody, please tell me this is so
Because I reach
For a love that makes me whole.

He said he’d walk me home,
A neighbor from a family well-known.
Afraid to say no, I let him lead.
My screams were silenced 
By his body over me.
When finally I escaped, 
I knew it was too late.
Broken, abused. Worthless, used:
This is now my fate.

Is there really a love that reaches
Beyond my broken pieces 
To hold me as I am 
And give me strength to stand?
Somebody, please tell me this is so
Because I reach
For a love that makes me whole.

They said it wasn’t worth the cost,
To help the one that was lost:
“Too far out of reach,” 
“Too far into darkness,”
“It’s too hard to help 
Those in margins.”

But I reached out in the name of Hope,
For she was selling her body 
For a bar of soap.
They said the results 
Would only disappoint me;
But I beheld a miracle 
When the prostitute was set free.

Yes, I believe in a Love That Reaches
Beyond all of our broken pieces.
What the world sees as worthless, 
Christ sees as purpose.
He loves you, 
The One who knows your soul;
And He reaches for your heart
to make you Whole.

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Graceful Mess


Graceful Mess

A structured chaos
The stormy calm
A salty pancake
A silent psalm

15 “Mama Kate”s, but I’m just one
Lucia’s on timeout; Benny calls me “Mom”

A maddened clarity
The cooling heat
A muted melody
A loud retreat

Ayanda tells me I need a vacation
Melissa asks me not to stay away again

A forgiving thunder
The morning moon
A beautiful weed
A midnight noon

Staying up late to talk with Sibussa who can’t sleep
Stories so heavy, it makes me want to weep

A consistent surprise
A moving rest
A frustrating delight
A graceful mess

Tucking them in bed and kisses for goodnight
Prayers together remind me… what a wonderful life!

"Front Porch Paradise"

Because sometimes songs can say it better...

This is my rewritten version of Phil Vassar's song, "Just another day in Paradise."

Lucia’s screaming, my ears ringing
Benny’s laughing at the Sibussa cleaning
his rice mess – on the floor
Who’s that? Someone’s at the door.

Got a half hour, forget my shower
Take some cereal but the soy milk’s sour
Shashie’s giggle makes me laugh
Welile asks, “Can I have that?”
There goes the laundry in the rain
Sebe, don't run away
Ayanda, don’t hide the pain
You’ll find hope in greater things

Well, it's ok. Beans and rice.
It's just another day in paradise
This is where I’m meant to be
Well, it's God’s heart
And my dream
I wouldn't trade it for anything
So I ask the Lord every night
To see this life as paradise

Sindi, you’re late
Nomvula’s pouting at the gate
At dinner time, I nearly cry
It’s intestines, please improvise
Well, plan B looks like
KFC in the late night
Then we'll watch a movie on the laptop
Angel’s snoring has to stop
But now it’s time for all to go to sleep
“Mama Katie,
Please don’t make me”
So we turn it to a dancing scene

Well, it's ok. Beans and rice.
It's just another day in paradise
This is where I’m meant to be
Well, it's God’s heart
And my dream
I wouldn't trade it for anything
So I ask the Lord every night
To see this life as paradise

This is my rewritten version of Lonestar's "Front Porch Looking In"

The only ground I ever owned is the red dirt on my shoes
Now I look at my front porch of this house in white and blue
I could sit and sweat from head to toe from this Swazi oven-sun
or watch the moon be our spotlight of a late night KFC run
the mountains dance in front of me, my heart skips for Swaziland
I’ll never beat the view
from my front porch lookin’ in

[chorus]

There’s a chocolate drop who can already talk with a sippy cup from Mrs. Hill
a little brown-eyed cutie who shakes her booty cuz she thinks she’s one of the girls
and the most beautiful moments holding both of them
oh the view I love the most, is my front porch looking in.

I moved here from Midwest air
I gave up my job
but I’ve been blessed with a graceful mess
held in the hands of God
The mountains and the rocky times make joy hard to see
but I can’t wait to get back home to the children He gave to me
cuz anytime I’m not fine, someone makes me laugh again
nothin’ takes my breath away like my front porch lookin’ in

[chorus]


Wednesday, February 4, 2015

All I Need

It has never taken me this long to think of what to write.  Yet, I still don’t know how to summarize what has been going on this past month and a half.  Major things have happened, like my parents coming to visit, Tenele’s mile markers, and starting my new teaching job.  There are just too many stories, it actually stresses me out thinking of how to explain them.  Maybe it’s just my mood lately or the fact that being the mother of 15 girls is finally hitting me how draining it is. 

Trying to get 15 girls back into a workable routine is extremely exhausting, especially when they are on so many different emotional levels and different stages in life.  One feels like a failure and is under immense stress after receiving her Form 5 school results; one is pregnant from a rape that occurred 5 months ago but was so confused and still finds it difficult to believe a baby is growing inside her stomach; one still suffers in anxiety of being accepted into school after she’s been turned down again and again with the phrase, “Sorry, we are full”; one has changed dramatically after coming back from break and is extremely disrespectful and rude to us all; one doesn’t know how to handle her anger; one tries to run away because she’s addicted to a life of begging on the streets from which she came; one still wets the bed; and too many think that the best way to fight is with their hands. On top of that, trying to restore order and cleanliness is nearly impossible on my own.  Their lack of responsibility and care for materials they’ve been given is driving me crazy.  

Someone recently asked me, “What do you need?”  And I talked about some financial needs for the girls home.  But she paused and repeated, “I mean, you.  What do YOU need?”  I couldn’t answer that.  Sure, I want things, but I honestly don’t know what I need.  But God does.  And He’s a much better person to go to with that question, so it reminded me to stop and ask God for what I need: wisdom, grace, forgiveness, peace, courage, endurance, joy, and most of all a heart like His.  That’s all I need.  He called me to it, and he'll get me through it.   :)