I've been living in Chile for one week now and it's been one of the most intense weeks of my life. It's not exactly been bad and it's not exactly been good. What it has been is extreme - and with great potential for stress and fear. Fortunately God has been so, so good to me. So let me share something of my experience with you.
In learning to live well in this new place I'm confronted by a new language, a new culture, a massive city, poverty, and new people - and a new physical environment I suppose, but this doesn't bother me too much (except it's hard to sleep at night when it's been 34° during the day and is still 22°). On one hand, there's a heck of a lot of new information to absorb and remember, and on the other, there are myriad things I just don't know. All this creates innumerable opportunites to embarrass or endanger myself, in both big ways and small.
To get through each day, I need great doses of courage and trust. Courage to constantly take actions or say things that I'm only half-sure of. It's courage that keeps me going and learning. And courage alone would be sufficient to get by, yet I might be unhappy or mean. To live well under these circumstances I also need to trust the Lord Jesus. I need to really, really trust that he is good and in control, that my life is hid with him, that ultimately it will all be okay. I need to trust that he loves me and is watching over me, and that I am precious to him even if I make a complete fool of myself. It's trust that enables me to be relaxed, to take my time in learning all the new things, to take notice of and care for the people around me as best I can, and to enjoy myself along the way.
Boy am I looking forward to the day when I'm (more) comfortable here. I knew it was going to be grim and that there was no escaping it, only going through. Now I know just what 'grim' looks and feels like, it's more extreme than I imagined, but also more okay than I might've guessed because I'm not passive in it. I'm here getting on with each day, being helped by God, and it's all okay.
About Me
- fional
- Fiona is a proud Tasmanian who now calls Chile home. Both Hobart and Santiago sit beneath mountains, but the mountains are very different and their cities too. With God's help, Fiona will help her Chilean sisters make sense of the Bible, get to know its Author better and learn what it means to live as loved, forgiven people.
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2 comentarios:
I'll pray that God gives you this courage and trust each new day, as well as the energy that's required to live courageously. I'm very confident that he's giving you these things as you need and will continue to do so.
:) Thanks Chief Advocate
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