Harmartan Craziness

I have woken up the past few mornings with oddly swollen eyes, dry throat, and a runny nose. No, I’m not sick, but only experiencing the much-anticipated Harmartan. This sandy phenomenon is late in coming, but has suddenly blown in. The sands from the Sahara Desert blow south (I believe it is due to this seasonal sand movement that the Sahara is expanding). By the time the sand storms reach Jos, they come in a form that can be best described as a mist. However, our northern neighbors experience lethal walls of sand that force traveling cars to pull over and threaten to bury little ones alive. The art teacher who informed me of this wonder said that in the middle of the day, people have to turn on the lights in the house because the sand is so thick that is blocks out the sunlight! (below is an attempt to show you a comparison)

On Thursday, I was particularly distracted by the dusty atmosphere. Allow me to paint a picture for you. Everywhere you look, you see a haze that resembles the smoke from a concert’s smoke machine right before it dissipates—only its dirt-orange rather than gray. Even my classroom has a soft blurry glow! Again, is it similar to a morning mist, but the sun does not evaporate it as it rises. In fact, the sand is thick enough to block some of the sun’s heat, which is why this time of year is also the cold season (about 50-70 degrees F, but I’m just guess since I don’t have a proper thermometer). This wouldn’t be so bad if it weren’t for the change in the breathing conditions as well. Everywhere I go, I smell dirt. I feel like I’m stuck in an old, dusty closet. I even try to take shallow breaths to cut down on inhaling the dust as if I could wait until it clears! There’s nowhere I can go to get clean air. Hence, my sinuses rebel and make it clear to me that they are not happy with the abuse I’m putting them through. (Even as I’m typing this, I have both nostrils stylishly stuffed with toilet paper.)

Despite the janitor’s efforts just 14 hours earlier, there is a fresh layer of dirt and dust over everything from the floor to the desks to the tape dispenser. Much to my disappointment, my house is no asylum from the sandman. Many of you know how it must be a challenge for me to cope with an eternally dusty home, but I trick myself into thinking that the new color of furniture and cloth is the true color. J

Oh, and don’t be mistaken, I may sound like I just finished a barrage of complaints, but I was simply relaying factual details to help your mental image. J Really…

As a teacher and discipleship leader, I look for a lesson lingering with this suffocating dust. The Lord allowed me to see past the inconvenience of it and behold His creation demonstrates His truth:

1. Sin is tolerable—even livable—but it’s not healthy! You adapt to that life which you choose, but you will suffer consequences that will eventually become apparent.
2. Our flesh is but dust. I’m amazed at how quickly dust settles and blown away. It is only by God’s grace that our flimsy lives can account to anything.
3. My new condition also serves as a challenge to let God be bigger than my circumstances: can I still be joyful even when I am not feeling well and can’t do a thing about it?

Please let me know how things are with your worlds! Drop me a comment or an email: lafnwithjoy@yahoo.com

Taking in the breath of God,

Kari