So far I have only traveled to two of the eleven countries my squad and I are scheduled to visit this year. To be honest, going from Australia to Indonesia was much harder than I imagined. Maybe it’s my age? Maybe it’s the overnight flight from Brisbane to Bali? Maybe I was feeling too settled to leave Byron Bay?
Honestly, I’m the type of person who loves comfort and the familiar, so right when I felt connected in Australia it was time to leave. So my mind has been racing to keep up with a new culture and a new setting. But alas, here we are!
And from my hotel I can walk to a shopping mall, go to the movie theater, stop by Starbucks, and shop for the latest Indonesian fashions. Crazy, right?! It resembles the familiar I have at home and what I even experienced in Australia.
However, I’ve been praying the Lord would help me see a different type of “familiar!” What I mean is for me to see the familiar in others. What traits and qualities do we as humans have in common? Are we really that different? Are there ways for me to see beyond culture to see what the Lord sees – His beautiful, diverse creation?!
And do we not all desire many of the same things? Love. Safety. Health. Education. Entertainment. Joy. Success. Many of us want to live a good life shared with the people we love. It all sounds familiar, right?
So why am I here? Why are you where God has you? What is our purpose? How does the “familiar” in all of our lives resemble our Creator?
Proverbs 20:5 says, “The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.”
Yes, Lord! Help us draw out the purpose that you have placed in our lives. We may not all share the same skin color, the same language, or even the same culture, but we are all deeply loved by You.
I leave you with this reminder…
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” – Ecclesiastes 3:11
Lord, let us always wander at the familiar in our lives!
Much love,
Melissa
P.S. I am enjoying my time here in Central Java. It’s amazing what a little sleep, a hot shower, and some good food can do for the soul. So here’s to month two!
