Mason

I have 4 more months left in SA, can I just come home now please? A part of me is entirely sick of this place. I’m tired of seeing suffering at every corner, fed up with women being regarded as second class and not being respected, sick of being stuck at Refilwe without my own car, and upset with the fact that I can’t even walk outside the gates alone. Something upsetting even took place this past week and I can feel it weighing me down. I do love SA, i'm just not feeling it at the moment.  A part of me just wants to run away, give up, and be done here, but I know that I can’t do that. I  must persevere even when things are difficult, but it's just so dang hard sometimes. Everything inside me is telling me to flee to the highest mountain, but I know that I can’t, and I won't. I can’t just give up when things are tough or when the enemy tries to stop me from fulfilling my purpose here. No matter how much I might want to; I can’t. Instead of giving up, I have to press on harder than before and not let any circumstance, no matter how angry it makes me, or how bad it might be, stop me from doing what I need to while I’m here.  Ugh. 

I remember a story I read on the news about a dog named Mason. Mason is  from Alabama and he got carried away in a horrible twister that destroyed his family’s house The family thought the dog had died, they looked everywhere for him with no success and he had been missing for 2 weeks.  Then, one day, they went back to their ruined house and saw their puppy dog waiting for them by the door. The dog’s two front legs were broken. Mason had crawled his way back to his family. Thinking of this story has really inspired me through this rough patch. Despite Mason’s unfair circumstances he didn’t give up. He fought through the pain of his broken legs, the freezing cold temperatures. and the exhaustion in order to achieve his purpose, which was finding his family. I’m sure he wondered ' Is this really worth it? Laying here to die would be so much easier!'  Maybe he thought his efforts were pointless, but still he pressed on. In the end it was worth it for Mason. Exhausted and famished he found his way to his family’s doorstep. I’m sure when he saw their smiling faces, all the work he put into getting home was worth it. He is now back with his family and when he recovers he will be stronger than ever. I think Mason can teach us a few things about perseverance and never giving up.. I know he has taught me.