So I found it fascinating to read the following list once again, via an email sent to me:
You know you are Australian when:- you believe that stubbies can either be drunk or worn- you pronounce Melbourne as "Mel-bin".- you believe that the letter 'l' in Australia is optional, and its pretty ok to call it 'Straya'.- you think Wooloomooloo is a perfectly reasonable name for a place- you're secretly proud of our killer wildlife- you believe its perfectly reasonable for a country to have a $1 coin that is twice as big as the $2 coin- you understand that 'Wagga Wagga' can be abbreviated to 'Wagga' but 'Woy Woy' cannot be just 'Woy'.- beetroot with your hamburger - of course!- you wear ugg boots outside the house- you believe that the more you shorten someone's name, the more you like them.- You understand that 'excuse me' can sound rude, but 'scuse me', is always polite'- You know what its like to swallow a fly, on occasion via your nose!- you know its not summer until the steering wheel is too hot to handle and a seat belt buckle becomes a pretty good branding iron!- you know how to abbreviate every word, all of which usually end in 'o' : arvo, convo, garbo, leezo, metho, milko, mayo, servo, smoko, repo, speedo, righto etc...- you know that there is a universal place called 'Woop woop' located in the middle of nowhere, no matter where you actually are!- and you can understand all of this, had a giggle and tell all your aussie and international friends. I love Australia!
What a great 16 lines!...and a warm sense of 'belonging' in reading it - Yes, I'm an Aussie!
- except I've never swallowed a fly via my nose, and maybe I should be concerned about my 'Aussie-ness', because I am careful to pronounce 'Australia' and 'Melbourne'!...and I don't think its exactly logical to have a $1 coin larger than the $2 coin ….
But you see, I could also do a list of items in regard to my 'adopted home' country of Botswana and Continent of Africa....
I could also say that you know if you are a Motswana African...
- when you call the capital city Gaborone, 'Gabs' and know that a bus saying its destination is "Moleps" is actually going to a place called "Molepolole"!- when you understand that people's names are not a bunch of words in their own exclusive category - any word can be used: 'Remember', 'Prosper', 'Trust', 'Happy', or their local language equivalents- when you greet a person and they answer 'fine' even before you have asked how they are.- when you think 'Molepolole' and 'Diphuduhudu' are quite normal names and you can say them without thinking.-when you are openly proud of your killer wildlife, call them the 'big 5' and put their pictures on T-shirts and souvenirs and make sure tourists are equally proud of seeing your 'big 5' up fairly close when they visit- when you leave the toilet door open when you are in it and closed when you are not (the 'door open' part doesn't happen so much around town here but the door is kept closed when no-one is there... but I actually was in the 'ladies' of an international airport transit area once when a north african lady used the facilities while leaving the door to the 'stall' wide open for all to see!)- when you know its hot because everything you touch even inside your house feels hot - even the clothes inside your wardrobe, and the water coming out of your cold tap that has its pipes on the outside of the house, will burn your fingers.- when its normal to see people dancing and singing as they move along in a local street demonstration for higher wages- when its normal for men to leave the manufacturer's tag on the sleeve of their suit so everyone will know they are wearing a prestigious 'off the rack' one and not a 'tailor made' one.- when you understand you need to have three weddings and two receptions to be 'fully' married - the traditional one where the bride-price is handed over, the magistrates court, and the western style 'white wedding' at the church or wherever, then one reception at the bride's family home and one at the groom's family home.- when a small child is throwing a tantrum, and they are not sent to their room, but the behaviour is still not tolerated, so they are picked up, thrown on the mother's back and strapped on tightly with a large towel - and are instantly immobilised!- when a road sign telling you to look out for donkey carts, or one that says its an area of 'elephants crossing', is familiar- when you use the car hazard lights almost as often as the normal lights because of broken down vehicles in the road, goats/donkeys/cows/chickens crossing, or other 'incidents' on the roads.- when its not strange that a whole family could live in one room which serves as the bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen, and sitting room, and where lack of electricity doesn't limit access to satellite TV as it is running off a 12V battery.- when you have a real life picture of each of these firmly in your mind and experience, and smile at the fond and familiar memories
....and there are only a few on this list that 'aren't me'. (I do close the door when I go to the 'loo' and I haven't participated in any street demonstration for higher wages!)
...but the rest of the list is recalled with fondness and familiarity.
Who do I cheer for if I watch the Olympics - both Australia and Botswana! I was so thrilled when Botswana got its first Olympic medal and its first Commonwealth Games Gold medal. I am also thrilled when Australia does well.
But maybe there is not so much of choice as to which I should align most with and we are more similar than we think…........If Aussies often change words to end in 'o' like smoko and arvo, how interesting is it that it was here in Botswana, not in Australia, that instead of being called Mr and Mrs Freeman, we were first 'nicknamed' with affection the titles of Rra and Mma Freezo!!
So am I a juggler of two personas? No I don't think so. I prefer to think of myself as multiply blessed, both with a wider experience of life by having lived in two countries giving an appreciation for varied perspectives and cultures, and a greater appreciation for the fact that first and foremost I am a citizen of heaven.
As I live more and more years within the community of believers and as part of God's culture of 'godliness', I pray that rather than only identifying with and 'Aussie' list or a 'Motswana' or 'African' list, I would more and more identify with a 'Christ-ian' list and the 'cultural' traits of my spiritual and heavenly identity are what become more and more part of me and what I am familiar with…....
I really know more and more that I am a child of God:
- when I choose to pray instead of worry
- when I am patient when the logical and expected reaction would be the opposite
- when I love my enemies rather than be bitter and revengeful
- when I am willing to forgive rather than refuse to forgive
- when I am constantly asking myself If my attitudes and actions are honouring the Lord Jesus Christ above all.
- when I look to God and His word for wisdom, direction and guidance rather than follow the current trends and worlds expectations
- when I am more interested in being on God's agenda for me than having him 'bless' my agenda, and His kingdom expanding rather than my own.
- when I am thankful rather than complaining
- when I am filled with joy when another lost sinner is born again to new life and saved from the wrath of God to come
- when I experience God's peace rather than my own anxiety
- when I focus on the good, the blessings, the joy and higher purposes that God has for me rather than the negative and discouraging circumstances
- when I realise more of my smallness but more of God's bigness....and as a result how much God honours me undeservedly by caring for me in my smallness!
- when I share His love and blessings with others
- when I love more of what He loves, and hate more of what He hates
- when rather than fear, I experience confidence - confidence in life on earth because of confidence in Christ before my Father in Heaven
- when I can more and more rejoice always
- when I am more interested in a person's heart health than their physical health, while not ignoring the physical health either.
- when I am more interested in living by faith to realise God's long term outcomes, than living by sight being pre-occupied with short term earthly outcomes
- when I am trusting God, depending on His resources for everything and not depending on myself
- when what God has been working in me by His Spirit is being worked out for the world around to see His light, as I honour, trust and obey Him
- and much much more...
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