Portia

I haven’t blogged since the beginning of May.

It’s early evening, I haven’t had dinner and my bones ache from all of the work I have been doing on the house.  I just want to go to bed and sleep  - I am stretched thin and not as young as I once was.  

I came home from South Africa and jumped into my life here.  People have two reactions: “Glad to have you back!” and “Now that you’re back can you…”  Everyone seems glad we are home.  Few have asked for details of the work there.

Some days I wake up, thinking that I am still living in South Africa.  I came home with Mario and we made a  new start.  The trouble is, I have a sinking feeling that the South African part of my life is drifting away.  I have no remedy for my South African soul-hunger – I find no South African ex-pats here!  I honestly need help knowing that this particular portion of my life won’t just fade away. 

Right now in South Africa it’s winter.  The days are cold; the nights are colder.  June 6.

Today is Portia’s birthday - she is 33.

Portia is my amazingly special friend who filled my life with a special sense of wonder in God’s supernatural ability to make all things right.  If you want a specimen of a Spirit-filled South African woman, you can look at Portia.  She prays constantly and walks with freedom and joy.  She radiates peace and beauty and I miss her.

Terribly.

Today she will celebrate her birthday in simplicity.  She has a lot of friends at work and in school and they will most likely bring her a cake and she will blow out the candles.  It will be the first year in seven years that I will not make that cake, sing to her and watch her blow out the candles.

I just spoke to her on the phone…she is already at work (it’s 7 a.m.).  When I asked her what she is going to do today I could hear her smiling.

“I don’t know yet,” she said.  “Something special.” 

Of course.

Portia's 30th