Moishe, Mouskovitz and heaven

Well, I wasn’t sure what to call him...I thought either one of those names would do. Turns out I can use both, since there’s been two of them instead of one. Perhaps this was an effort to “name my fear”. It’s bad. I think MK’s should be relatively fearless when it comes to little critters, but I am much afraid of mice. Quite terrified even.

I tell you this so that you take it seriously and don’t ever tease me about it, because if you do my faith in humanity will be severely damaged. Forgiveness yes, but my forgiveness as a person only reaches to a certain extend and I think putting a mouse near me is really crossing the boundary there.

Some guys have been very good to me by making it their expedition to catch Moishe and Mouskovitz. They’re gone now…heaven…I’m sure my friends are also grateful, because I haven’t talked about much else recently. (c;

Anyway, I’ve been making a fool of myself in a number of ways lately. Wolter mentioned the “hitchhike to heaven”. I went with a guy called Job to ask people at the train station whether they could show us the way. This led to some interesting conversations. One man even thought he didn’t need heaven because in his life-time scientists are bound to invent something to stop the ageing process and allow us to live forever!

It’s cool to go out and talk to people randomly about what they believe. It’s amazing how they take time to think about something that really isn’t very much on their minds (or maybe it is somehow, but it doesn’t show). Although I do find it frustrating that heaven isn’t real for them as it is for me. It helps to know where you’re going, if you want to get there.

Check out www.Breeze.be/hemel
(in Dutch)

questions i ask myself

Psalm 139

لأَنَّكَ أَنْتَ قَدْ كَوَّنْتَ كُلْيَتَيَّ. نَسَجْتَنِي دَاخِلَ بَطْنِ أُمِّي. 13

14 أَحْمَدُكَ لأَنَّكَ صَنَعْتَنِي بِإِعْجَازِكَ الْمُدْهِشِ. مَا أَعْجَبَ أَعْمَالَكَ وَنَفْسِي تَعْلَمُ ذَلِكَ يَقِيناً.

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

Source: BibleGateway.com

The other day I witnessed the birth of a tiny Arab boy. It was just a few minutes after he was born, when his father took him in his arms and started whispering Quranic blessings in his ear. I was impressed.

I'm sure most baby's born into Christian families are blessed in prayer shortly after their birth, but I have not seen Christian's being so openly thankful to God in the delivery room. We dedicate our children, but in our own Christian environment and not with the gynaecologist still there to witness this.

I don't know...I suddenly wished that we would have more traditions like the Muslims do, that would make it so obvious to the world around us to see who we are. Perhaps it would motivate us to live our lives more in accordance with what we believe. Maybe it would make us more alien to people around us, which is not what I'd like to see happening. And I do wonder how much of what the Muslim father does, is culture and no longer true conviction?

How convicted are we of it being truly worth it to serve God? How do we let it show? Where is the balance between being adapted to the world we live in and being completely different as followers of Jesus? There are plenty of people who are "good people" for no reason. So how can we be a light in this world? How does our thankfulness to God shine out?

memories

Honestly, I'm quite disappointed with my photos of the wedding in Sweden. Not with this one though. It shows how some people don't change more than they're supposed to. (c;
Mirjam was a beautiful bride, but her shoes were...ehm, not there mostly (and when they were they were the simplest of flip flops). Her feet are the same as when I met her. They once inspired me to write a song about the feet that bring good news.

spring then

Yeah, the sun is finally shining again (it always comes after the rain, hey?), which makes me all the more ecstatic about life. No, I'm not always on a high, but there are times when I do think I'll burst if I get any happier than I am.

I was in Sweden the weekend before last and it was a perfect trip. Went there to see two friends get married while fearing it would all be too short. Mirjam is a good friend from Doulos, and she shares with Gustav this crazy love for the Arab world. I can understand that. They are a cool couple and it was so much fun to see them together. And since I will be seeing them again, I think the timing was perfect.

I stayed in a backstreet area of Stockholm with some Doulos girls. The morning after the wedding we had breakfast outside in the sun in our pyjama's. Scandinavia and warmth...and I was reminded of random things we used to do in Africa. This was an area where most Sweeds would not go for breakfast, but somehow I felt at home.

Met up with a bunch of people I haven't seen for about three years. So cool to see them happy and still on fire for God. So cool to see that we still have things in common and that we haven't forgotten the good times we've shared.

Then I returned to Belgium to a group of friends I won't be saying goodbye to for a while yet. That feels good.

new life

Hard to post something on real-life births and not sound all foggy and stuff. I should spare you the details of the mess it is!

Anyway, I’m doing my first internship at the delivery-room and I have to say: “I love the job that will be mine!” Well, that is an encouraging thing to find when you have been studying something for a while.

It’s obvious that I’m not yet a qualified midwife. There’s so many things I’m doing for the first time and with a bunch of experienced people watching it can be nerve-wrecking. Plus I’m supposed to guide people through an experience that is new for them, but sometimes even newer for me.

Well, I don’t always know what the gynaecologist is asking me to do even, so that adds to the mess in my head. All this will get better I guess…but I taste the rush of adrenaline and think I could get addicted.

It’s awesome to go with people through such a huge life-event. It’s a challenge to have them enjoy it as much as possible, while you learn to stay alert and make sure it’s a kind of smooth delivery.

After a lot of effort we welcome new life into a world that many aren’t very content with in the first place. At that moment things are somehow simplified and we are contented people. A child is born alive…and life is worth living.