Not a great cricket fan nor do I play the sport, but that tagline sounds awesome. And before I continue, I must congratulate the PNG Barramundis on their historical win and earning themselves a spot in the upcoming Cricket, T20 World Cup. Super proud!
Awesome is an understatement but it is how I am feeling this morning. Hey, it’s not every day you wake up in the city of love, next to the love of your life and especially on your 50th birthday. How I wish our kids were here to share with us today, however I am sure they sent us off with good hearts to enjoy this once in a lifetime experience. God bless their kind hearts 🙏
One year ago, this was a dream and the first domino fell with a payment of a deposit to an unknown bank account provided by a tour company. And everything else fell in line, like every good domino effect and here we are, in Paris, France – the City of Love.
So how does it feel to be 50? Super? Fantastic? Awesome? I don’t know, and to be honest, it’s not any different. All I know is that I am grateful to God for the gifts of life, of family, of love, and the wonderful opportunity to go out there and make a difference and hopefully make the world a better place.
The past 4 days in London and Paris, has shown me a world so different to where I originally come from, Papua New Guinea and the one I call home now, Australia. There’s two sides to everything – so much beauty in the tall, glittering glass and concrete structures, some centuries old – yet, among those structures, there is so much poverty. What is this world coming to when we amaze ourselves at glittering and shiny structures, yet turn a blind eye to the homeless person sitting on that metro entrance begging for money?
I am no saint, nor am I a Mother Teresa- but I hope and pray to God that in the next 50 years of my life, God willing – i live to see the gap – between poor and rich, have and have not etc – is reduced rather than multiplied. I could go on, bit I’m going out to enjoy my birthday, so I’ll leave you here with a another piece I wrote a few years ago:
*The Gap*
“We fear the gap often peached about of life after,
The gap that separates good from evil
Sin & death from good deeds & eternal life
Heaven from hell
In our daily lives we try our best to live lives,
That will ensure we cross over to the right side, the good side, in the after life.
We may not have it right at all times,
We fail time & again in our quest, yet we know & keep on trying.
Maybe that’s where we are wrong
Maybe Jesus was referring to the gaping hole, that now exists in this world today
The gap between haves & have-nots
The rich vs poor! Black vs white! Young vs old! Racial, political, religious & ethnic discrimination! List is endless
Maybe, I don’t know! As no one can ever claim they understand God.
All I know now is that if I fail miserably in this life to help reduce this real life gap, how can I ever truly claim my place on the good side in the life after?”
Keep the faith & God bless us all 💖
Idau Hahine 