The other night whilst preparing Joelle's lunch for the following day, I kinda of started reflecting on our lifestyle here in Freetown as compared to when we were in Segbwema two years ago. Life these days may have got a bit better; in terms of access to provisions and other material things. For instance we drove to the beach front that night so the kids could have ice cream - and for those who know our 'ice cream'stories from Segbwema, this is a very big deal. When we lived in Segbwema we usually had to make a special journey to the nearest big town with a cool box to buy ice cream. That was the extent we had to go when Joelle wanted ice
cream - which thankfully was not a regular thing - so driving out tonight
after work to get one for her was just great. Actually we could have got one
from the nearest supermarket but we preferred the ice cream bar on the sea front. I know, I digress but it brought home to me the transformation that
has taken place but then that transformation has a price tag attached to it.
A quick 'back of an envelope' calculation tells me that we are spending
nearly 5 times what we used to spend at Segbwema. Avocado pears which we
used to buy 4-5 for the equivalent of 50 cents (30p) costs nearly $1.40 (£1)
here in Freetown - so yes you guessed it - we've stopped buying them.
Thankfully I still travel out so only buys them when in the provinces.
My other disappointment is the availability (or rather unavailability) supply of electricity. I thought moving to Freetown would make the use of generators a thing of the past but my oh my - was I wrong? big time!!! I am writing this with the 'buzz' of the generator in the background. The difficulty with the electricity supply is the inconsistency and fitful supply - there is no pattern to its availability or otherwise and worse of all - no prewarnings. One has to be careful how we stock the freezer & with what. We had the unfortunate experience of throwing away some fish and mince meat because we were without electricity for a considerable number of days and eventually they went off because of the heat. Terrible waste. These days we buy only 1 small bottle of milk at a time - just in case. At least when we were in Segbwema we knew where we stood with the electricity - total dependency on the hospital's generator - available every other night- so we planned
accordingly. Life was sooooo simple then.
So would I go back to the previous lifestyle - probably not. Life is about moving on, facing new challenges and not about hankering for the past - I believe it is
making the best of the present. The Israelites hankered after their past and
even considered slavery better option - compared to their time in the desert -
though they had free meals and had no need to buy new footwear. What
happened to them - of course God's anger was roused against them. There is always comfort in the past and the tendency would be to run towarsd the familiar but what
makes life exciting and challenging for me is dealing with the now and then. Finding my way with God's help and leading, through the 'minefield of life' and coming out either victorious or otehrwise at the other end. No experience is wasted in life if
we learn from them so even our failures could be the stepping stones that lead us
to the greater victories ahead provided we learn from them.
Skyscraper or mudhouse - which one would it be - if you were to ask me I
would say both - they all have a part to play in our lives - to mold us and
build us up for greater heights. God bless u.
