Looking Up

I walk lots of places.  To the office, to the fruit and vegetable market, the corner store to buy milk or to hunt down the mango man.  I really love going places…  saying “hi” to the people I pass, joking with the shop keepers and answering the endless questions of “Where’s the girl today?!”  But what I do most of all when I’m on my way somewhere is watch the road.  Not in a look-both-ways-before-you-cross-the-street kinda way (although that is pretty important, too!) but more like I stare directly at my feet, or right in front of them to closely watch the path ahead.

The main roads in Kampala are paved but most of the ones surrounding our house and neighbourhood are not.  They’re washed out from heavy rains and big holes pop up and get filled with rubble, broken bricks and other things that in an attempt to make the road smoother actually end up making it slightly more treacherous.  And there is garbage.  One old shoe and bottles, broken glass and wrappers, other gifts left there by stray dogs.  Things I definitely don’t want overlapping from the street onto my flip flopped feet.

So I look down and pick my way along, sometimes (I hate to admit) grumbling about the route I’m on or the obstacles in my way.  I go slowly and surely to where I’m headed only seeing dust and garbage.  It’s not a pretty sight.

Today, on my way home I went up a steep hill, watching one foot land in front of the other and when I got to the top, I looked up.

And it was amazing.

The same spot where I had stood to watch the fireworks on New Years Eve is equally as spectacular when illuminated by sunlight.  The city, the hills.  I was a good reminder to me that even when the road is bumpy, I need to stop and take a breath, and look up.

There is definitely more in front of me than what is under my feet.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains - where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip - he who watches over you will not slumber.  Psalm 121:1-3