The Travelling Nutmeg: What a wonderful world V

It is very common for us to stress over the little and the big things. Take for instance my toothbrush. I had the right strategy-put and use my current toiletries close to my luggage until I was ready to pack. But as soon as I grabbed that toothbrush for the last brush, it never made it back to my bag. I told myself I could purchase one in China…forgetting one major thing-dental care is handled a bit different here culturally. In my first supermarket hunt, I was in a hurry so I grabbed the most expensive brush and ran out the store. When I got home and read the back, it clearly stated: soft. 

I figured no big deal. It actually only cost me 4.50 RMB. I’ll just try another. In this supermarket, they kept all of them on display so that you can feel and make a choice. I discovered one that said ‘hard’ on the packaging but it didn’t feel that way in the slightest. So I asked a nearby worker. She insisted it was the hardest because there was no silk. It was 2 for 10.50, so if you do the Maths, it was the same risk. But I bought it, unwrapped it and made a comparison. If I’m honest, although it harder that the first one, it’s no way as hard as I left home and that was an old brush.

Now why did I just spend 2 paragraphs lamenting about a toothbrush? Because one day it is a toothbrush, another day it is lack of lunch options. If we give it a chance, there will be always something to complain about. And as much as a toothbrush is a viable challenge, it is officially out of my hands. No point in wallowing in hopelessness.

That’s the same approach I took last night, when I realized that my cold had developed into a fever. The sore throat, irritated tonsils and high temperature almost convinced me I was dying. I didn’t get a chance to go down to the dinner, so I had no food to take my medicine. So I turned to the only food I know. Praise and worship. I thanked the Lord for life and for every resource I had at my disposal. I reminded myself of His goodness and so many ways that He had been faithful. I asked him to remove anything in me that would cause me to depend more on myself than on Him. And I started to feel an ease. Then I remember I had a kettle, so I boiled some hot water to consume. The Chinese swear by it and I figured it couldn’t hurt. 

The results were almost immediate. It is like a weight was lifted. The temperature broke. I started to feel human again. So much so that I started walking around the room and then I put on the light. And what did I see right at the back of the kettle? My bag of soy milk and farine. The very “food” I needed to take the paracetamol. And I can’t help but wonder, if God had orchestrated that moment to show me His sufficiency. 

The very next day, I was walking through the hall where wedding preparations were underway, when I heard the smoothest bass crooning the words of Louis Armstrong with gusto and flow. 

I ran to the room where I saw the most distinguished gentleman, articulating “What a Wonderful World” to a room of maybe just 5 persons. But he sang as if the bride and groom were already listening, reminding them to hold on to the things that matter. Reminding them that the world is a beautiful place because of a baby's cry. I started getting lost in the bridge when the class organizer came to close the door. Apparently, he was disturbing the lecturer. But it didn’t stop me from receiving the message. We can't let the stresses of life take our eyes off of the beauty of this world. We just have to keep looking and we will find it.