I Would Catch a Grenade for You

March 22, 2011

“I would catch a grenade for you.” Debs sings.

I know this one!!! Hurrah!!!

She continues, “Put my head on a plate for you!”

“WHAT?!”

She replies, “Yes, Renna. That’s how it goes.”

Um. EW. Who would listen to a song about decapitation in love? No, thank you!!!

But I was all, “Ok. Sure. PUT MY HEAD ON A PLATE FOR YOUUU!!!”

So this morning at Ethembeni, I was singing this song. When I sang that oh so great line, Shayna stops and says, “WHAT?!”

“Yeah. That’s the line, Shayna.”

“Renna. It’s definitely ‘Put my hand on a blade for you.’”

“Are you serious?! Oh. Well. I guess that makes more sense.”

But I think we’ll never know for suresies. What do YOU think it is??? Oh, Bruno, you perplex me!

I was still confused as to why the song was so graphically violent, so Shayna had to explain to me, “He would literally die for her, but she just doesn’t feel the same way. So sad.”

My only comment: “Unrequited love SUCKS, man.” Wow. “Unrequited” and “sucks” in the same sentence. Cough, cough. (But really, I am still coughing.)

My theme song of the day: “Ngiyahamba, hamba!” I know you are fluent in this great language, but here is a translation, just in case. “I’m walking, walking!” Today is my first day at my service site without a boot OR crutches! I am in awe that ALL of the staff is being so encouraging and lovely! I feel so loved. True community, right here. True community is not based on similarities or even common language. True community is about LOVE.

All you need is love. How did I come up with that genius?! J

Announcement for Mom and future husband, as well as my future roommates! Londi taught me how to chop carrots today! WOOOHOOO!!! Talk about life skills! First step carrots, next step Crème Brulee! So positive! I only cut myself twice. And you can’t even tell. Just a bit of a nail, and a cut that looks like it is of the paper variety. I’d say it was successful J

Then Londi and I worked on two skits: David and Goliath, and Shadrack, Mishach, and Abendigo. It’s awesome to write with a Zulu perspective! Super interesting.

Then I had a good talk with Tyler. Woot!

After lunch, Aunty Semke, my social worker, took me on a home visit. It. Was. HOT. And ALL uphill! It was a challenge, but super positive to work out my ankle.

On our way, a man stopped us. His eyes looked wild. My people alarm went off. I kept walking.

“Sawubona!” He yells at me. I ignore him and keep walking, as does Aunty Semke.

“I said, sawubona!” This time, more forceful.

“Sawubona.” I reply without stopping.

“Eyy, why you gotta do that? Why you gotta be so beautiful? EY, you. I wanna marry you.”

I look at him with an “EXCUSE ME?!” look.

“Yeah, girl, that’s right. You wanna marry me? Don’t walk away from me now.”

All I can manage is “Cha. Ngiyabonga.” No. Thanks.

Cue ESCAPE!!! I asked Aunty Samke if random marriage proposals are normal. Nope. They’re not. Good to know.

When we finally reached the home, the first thing I noticed was it smelled. The woman was nice, but not very receptive to me. I could tell she was very uncomfortable with me. Aunty Samke told me this woman’s eyes hurt. She was going to the doctor tomorrow and was very frightened of what the doctor would say. After they talked for a long time in Zulu, Aunty Samke asked me to pray for the woman. I was so happy to! I feel like the Lord placed things on my heart that I was supposed to pray for, which was super cool.

This house was so empty. The floor was rotten and peeling. The furniture was so completely worn and slightly gross. It was SO hot. And yet, you could tell this woman took pride in keeping her home clean.

This home visit wasn’t mind-blowing; it was eye-opening.

When we got back to Ethembeni (SORE ANKLE!), my friend Smangile ran up to me, and noticed how now we both had watches. “Can we trade?!” She was so excited! “Sure!” I take her watch and she takes mine. Her smile is priceless. In fact, so priceless indeed, that I let her keep it. I have her watch right now, but I am going to give it back and hopefully convince her to keep my pink one. She enjoys it way more than I ever could. And plus, I just want to do something nice for her. I love her.

Karissa started an art program today. She had the kids fold a piece of paper into four squares. In the first square, Karissa said, “Draw something that made you happy.” Time passed. It was a simple exercise without meaning. For the next square, she said, “Draw something that made you sad.” Now the kids began drawing coffins, graveyards, and tears. Thirdly, “Draw something that made you feel scared.” Most every child drew people shooting or stabbing each other. Finally, “Draw somewhere that made you feel safe.” When they were done, they were able to share with people if they wanted to.

I had two girls come up to me.

To the first, I said, “Tell me about when you felt scared.”

Pointing to the picture, “These are boys I know. They were friends. But then they got in a fight. And one shot the other.”

“Is he alright?”

“No. He’s dead.”

What do you say to that?

I asked the next girl, who was a high schooler, to tell me about when she was sad, pointed to her drawing and said, “It makes me sad when mean people do bad things to innocent people.” The picture was of a dead person with lots of blood.

“Does this happen very often?” I asked her.

“Yes. All the time.”

These children have grown up surrounded by corruption. And so have I, and so have you. But it just hit me so hard. I have never had to fear for my life as I watch a knife fight. I have never seen one of my friends be shot by another friend. These children have so little, and yet have seen so much. They know and feel more than I ever will.

In a way, their world has been shattered by a grenade. A grenade of HIV and AIDS and violence and death and abandonment.

I am just so utterly humbled and in awe that the Lord has the power, will, and might to catch that grenade for these children.

Some lyrics I loved:

What if your blessings come through raindrops?

What if your healing comes through tears?

What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know you’re near?

What if trials of this life are your mercies in disguise?

Take heart in times of trial. Find blessing in the rain. Allow tears to heal. And you will find God when you are too tired to fight and run away.

Cuz, hey. He would catch a grenade for you.