Only one life and it will soon be past, only what's done for Jesus will last.~Anonymous
I've had this sentence on my mind as I've prepared to move to Korea over the last month or so. I think about the comforts of my quaint American life and the familiar things I've come to depend upon so greatly.
Are they really worth what value I've attached to them? Can't I live without them?
As the days between now and when I am leaving grow fewer and fewer, so many things cross my mind. This past weekend I had a yard sale, selling just about half of my posssessions. After the long Saturday finally came to an end, I looked around my house and had that weird feeling I always get when I'm moving in to a new place or out of an old place.
CHANGE.
Sometimes it's a dirty word. It's that fish-out-of-water/exciting-adventure-about-to-happen sort of feeling. I feel awkward to a point living here even now. It's like I'm in a limbo of sorts. I'm not sure how I feel about this place of hanging in the balance between here and there. I go back and forth between excited about the incredible opportunity to serve God to being sad over leaving some of the most precious people on the planet. It's that dirty word again.
CHANGE.
So many times I've HATED change. HATED HATED it. And yet, God brought something incredible through each change in my life. I don't question what God has for me. It's the getting there that is overwhelming from time to time. It's buying the plane ticket and it being in my hand and how huge that is.
CHANGE.
It goes back to that sentence at the top. "Only one life and it will soon be past, only what's done for Jesus will last."
Am I willing to be changed in many ways-location, culture, comfort zone-in order to serve God in what He's called me to do? Am I going to be selfish about what I HAVE to have to live my life? These are the questions that have been rolling about in my mind lately.
I only have one life to serve my King. Just one. Do I want to live with regret about how I did or did not serve Him?
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Monday, April 8, 2013
Overreaction....nobody does it, right?
Moving to Korea is exciting and overwhelming. So far, I've been in a very excited and anticipatory mood about all the new things coming my way. But then it hit me about all the changes. Yes, I'd prayed through this move and considered the cost of leaving my family, friends, and life here. But then, with all the steps I've taken to ACTUALLY move there, reality has kicked in. Or kicked me a few times. Hard.
I have had a few emotional episodes already where it's like I'm leaving in a few minutes to go for 2 years. I'm excited to go, but I'm not quite ready to go just yet.
I found myself freaking out about some MINOR things that were annoying me and frustrating me at the moment. I had to step back and realize that, for instance, the shoes were NOT attacking me and I WAS making a mountain out of a mole hill.
Last Monday was April Fools' Day. I decided I would have some fun with this day and actually google some good harmless, yet fun, pranks on some friends. I had a few laughs, but was told that I was making myself a target for something down the road. I didn't really think anything would come my way on April Fools' day, so I laughed it off.
Well, it's April Fools DAY not week as it is every year....however.....a coworker decided to get me on Friday. 4 days AFTER April Fools' Day. Just to be clear.
I was headed Friday afternoon to visit with someone about buying my car. I was excited to see what information I would find out and what deal there might be. I told Mendy my plans as I was headed out the door of the school. It had been a long afternoon and a very full week. Several minutes goes by and I finally make it out the door to my car. I get within a few feet of my car and find out that it's been shot. Yes, shot. It looked like 5 or 6 gunshots were fired into the driver's door. I stopped dead in my tracks, stunned. I realized that yes, they were stickers, but thought they would peel the paint off my car and would depreciate my car's value. A million thoughts ran through my mind then about how this would impact my going to Korea and I lost it. I balled. I sobbed. (overreaction-yes, I know)
I had a suspect in mind and gave her a call, but she was in the dark (though she thought it was funny).
I realized that it must have been Mendy's son who was in her room when I was in there minutes before. When I saw them coming out of the building, I asked if he'd done this to my car-he asked if it had been shot. My reaction did not indicate that I thought it was funny at the time. I'm pretty sure they thought I was mad as a hornet. When they pointed out to me that these stickers would peel off my car and not pull the paint and demonstrated as such, I came to find out that it was Mendy's idea all along! I was in overdrive as far as overreactions go.
As I left the school, calming down more and more, I thought back over it all and realized it was a pretty good joke and pretty hilarious. Though not when you're on the receiving end of it.
Through this escapade and a few other minor things I have overreacted on, my heart has been convicted about what I have control over and my attitude toward that. I have control over nothing I realize. So many things can NOT go my way and that's going to happen countless times over in life. I have to trust that Christ knows what He's doing with my life even when I have no idea or when I'm on the receiving end of a practical joke.
A wise man said recently: "IF my faith is in God (which it is) AND things aren't going my way (which they often don't) THEN things are going His way (& I rest in that)"
I have had a few emotional episodes already where it's like I'm leaving in a few minutes to go for 2 years. I'm excited to go, but I'm not quite ready to go just yet.
I found myself freaking out about some MINOR things that were annoying me and frustrating me at the moment. I had to step back and realize that, for instance, the shoes were NOT attacking me and I WAS making a mountain out of a mole hill.
Last Monday was April Fools' Day. I decided I would have some fun with this day and actually google some good harmless, yet fun, pranks on some friends. I had a few laughs, but was told that I was making myself a target for something down the road. I didn't really think anything would come my way on April Fools' day, so I laughed it off.
Well, it's April Fools DAY not week as it is every year....however.....a coworker decided to get me on Friday. 4 days AFTER April Fools' Day. Just to be clear.
I was headed Friday afternoon to visit with someone about buying my car. I was excited to see what information I would find out and what deal there might be. I told Mendy my plans as I was headed out the door of the school. It had been a long afternoon and a very full week. Several minutes goes by and I finally make it out the door to my car. I get within a few feet of my car and find out that it's been shot. Yes, shot. It looked like 5 or 6 gunshots were fired into the driver's door. I stopped dead in my tracks, stunned. I realized that yes, they were stickers, but thought they would peel the paint off my car and would depreciate my car's value. A million thoughts ran through my mind then about how this would impact my going to Korea and I lost it. I balled. I sobbed. (overreaction-yes, I know)
I had a suspect in mind and gave her a call, but she was in the dark (though she thought it was funny).
I realized that it must have been Mendy's son who was in her room when I was in there minutes before. When I saw them coming out of the building, I asked if he'd done this to my car-he asked if it had been shot. My reaction did not indicate that I thought it was funny at the time. I'm pretty sure they thought I was mad as a hornet. When they pointed out to me that these stickers would peel off my car and not pull the paint and demonstrated as such, I came to find out that it was Mendy's idea all along! I was in overdrive as far as overreactions go.
As I left the school, calming down more and more, I thought back over it all and realized it was a pretty good joke and pretty hilarious. Though not when you're on the receiving end of it.
Through this escapade and a few other minor things I have overreacted on, my heart has been convicted about what I have control over and my attitude toward that. I have control over nothing I realize. So many things can NOT go my way and that's going to happen countless times over in life. I have to trust that Christ knows what He's doing with my life even when I have no idea or when I'm on the receiving end of a practical joke.
A wise man said recently: "IF my faith is in God (which it is) AND things aren't going my way (which they often don't) THEN things are going His way (& I rest in that)"
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Big Decisions!
As some of you may know, I've decided to pursue a new ministry opportunity in moving to South Korea. I will be teaching 3rd grade at a Christian school. I have had opportunities in the past to go overseas and teach on a short term basis. I've enjoyed those opportunities to be put out of my comfort zone and into places that God had for me to work for a time. There were offers to extend my time in both of those places, but God had different plans.
I went to Hong Kong in 2005 to teach English for the summer. That summer taught me a lot about myself and the presence of God being exactly what I needed to survive in life. I was about to leave that summer thinking I would come home to return to college and pursue another degree or grad school. God had other plans. I have been privileged to spend the last 8 years at Conway Christian School and have been blessed in knowing the precious coworkers and families associated with the school.
In 2010, I finished up some graduate work and headed to Russia for the summer to teach an English camp very similar to my time in Hong Kong. Again, God stretched me, took me out of my comfort zone, practically to the middle of nowhere in northern Russia. Being out of my comfort zone surely showed me a lot of things I could do without and what was truly important. I was offered and tempted to take a year long teaching position in Russia the next year. God did not have that door opening for me just yet.
Last year, after praying for quite a while after returning from Russia, I pursued going overseas for an extended time period with the Network of International Christian School (NICS). However, my inquiries were literally a day late. I asked for information regarding a job fair the day after it had happened.
I continued to pray about what God would have me to do as far as this desire to go overseas was concerned. My brother and I were talking one day during the summer about ministry opportunities and I brought this up. His advice was to do what God had placed on my heart and not to question but to trust His hand.
I applied for a position with NICS in October, informed my family of my decision, asking them to pray about it with me, and put the fleece out there before the LORD. If He wanted this for me, I prayed He would make it abundantly clear.
Well, as I prayed, God made it very clear. I was to go. But where?
At the job fair in February, I applied for a school in Korea, praying that God would make the process smooth and "easy" or "simple" not really knowing what that meant. :)
So....that's what's happened in my life that last few months and I'm in the process of moving to South Korea to spend the next 2 years teaching 3rd grade.
Please pray for me about the transition and getting settled there.
THANKS!
I went to Hong Kong in 2005 to teach English for the summer. That summer taught me a lot about myself and the presence of God being exactly what I needed to survive in life. I was about to leave that summer thinking I would come home to return to college and pursue another degree or grad school. God had other plans. I have been privileged to spend the last 8 years at Conway Christian School and have been blessed in knowing the precious coworkers and families associated with the school.
In 2010, I finished up some graduate work and headed to Russia for the summer to teach an English camp very similar to my time in Hong Kong. Again, God stretched me, took me out of my comfort zone, practically to the middle of nowhere in northern Russia. Being out of my comfort zone surely showed me a lot of things I could do without and what was truly important. I was offered and tempted to take a year long teaching position in Russia the next year. God did not have that door opening for me just yet.
Last year, after praying for quite a while after returning from Russia, I pursued going overseas for an extended time period with the Network of International Christian School (NICS). However, my inquiries were literally a day late. I asked for information regarding a job fair the day after it had happened.
I continued to pray about what God would have me to do as far as this desire to go overseas was concerned. My brother and I were talking one day during the summer about ministry opportunities and I brought this up. His advice was to do what God had placed on my heart and not to question but to trust His hand.
I applied for a position with NICS in October, informed my family of my decision, asking them to pray about it with me, and put the fleece out there before the LORD. If He wanted this for me, I prayed He would make it abundantly clear.
Well, as I prayed, God made it very clear. I was to go. But where?
At the job fair in February, I applied for a school in Korea, praying that God would make the process smooth and "easy" or "simple" not really knowing what that meant. :)
So....that's what's happened in my life that last few months and I'm in the process of moving to South Korea to spend the next 2 years teaching 3rd grade.
Please pray for me about the transition and getting settled there.
THANKS!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)