It’s Winter but I Feel So Warm

If you checked in for last week’s “Self-Love Sunday” then you’re noticing a theme of late posts. My choir is currently in South Africa and the 7-hour time difference and busy days have left me searching for moments to write, edit and upload. It’s winter here and I’m currently in my summer internship attire wishing I could teleport to a warmer climate. Although it is winter, I’ve been filled with warmth since I arrived here. On one of the first nights we spent in South Africa a church member noticed that I was shaking in the cold and promised to bring me a coat since I’m the same size as her daughter who is away on military duty. Let me run that back, a woman, who I’d never met before last week, promised to be a source of warmth when I needed it most.

The night she brought me the coat, tears welled up in my eyes as I choked back

“You’ll never know how much warmth you brought into my life. You’ll never understand how powerful your love is. If I could repay you, a thousand roses wouldn’t be enough.”

In the end, I settled on a simple “thank you”. She will never understand how much that simple gesture of kindness meant and still means to me. She brought me the coat on the night of our first concert here and that same night I met amazing young women who brought me to tears. After the concert, a woman about my age came up to me and asked me for a picture, of course I obliged and as she led me through a doorway, I heard her say “look who I found”. YALL my introvert senses were tingling!

Some of y’all know what I’m talking about…the prospect of meeting a large group of people when all you want to do is lie down ALONE can be frustrating/terrifying/annoying.

But these three young women met me with so much warmth that standing there talking to them felt like the best idea in the world. It felt like my whole life had led me to the moment when 3 beautiful young women would ask me about my journey and luckily, I was able to give the Lord all of the credit. I didn’t talk about my anxiety, depression or multiple near-death accidents. I simply said that all that I have comes from Him. I have never felt such warmth. I have never felt so much love. If you read “She Saw the Beauty in Me” then you know how impactful being in Africa has been for me.

This Self-Love Sunday I’m grateful for the warmth I’m feeling in this cold weather. Self-Love is recognizing that good energy can spring-board you to positive thinking and existing. This experience is life-altering and I feel obligated to recognize these moments and how they make me feel.

Happy Self-Love Sunday. My challenge for you this week is to be grateful for every moment that assists in your growth. While you’re being grateful for the moments, don’t forget to be grateful for the people who make those moments possible.