A couple months ago during training camp we were challenged to leave something back during each month of the race, that you would leave in that country. At first when I thought about this I thought I should bring 11 things on the race to pack with me until I found a place to leave it. But as I packed everything I will bring for 11 months, I notice I really couldn’t bring extra stuff nor did I have a burning desire to bring extra stuff.
I mean I still left some things back during launch. Eight pounds to be exact. I even left my computer. That is was really hard and I’m still working through this.
It makes me uncomfortable to know that I can’t use the internet whenever I want. The withdrawals and uncomfortable feelings came shortly after I gave my computer to my mom, but in all reality, I needed to live in this uncomfortable place, because I will be uncomfortable in a lot of things in the next 11 months. Plus I want to break to bondage that I had to my electronics to be present more. At least for now it sounds good.
So to begin with leaving things behind, we must start in America. Were, I left my comfortable life, to live in uncomfortable situations all the time.
One situation of uncomfortably is to not check out during down time. This is a normal act of mine when I have down time. To be present in all situations is really hard and uncomfortable.
Somethings I just need to be alone, and I use to think I wanted to have people around me all the time, but in all reality living in community, being a missionary, and being the only people from America around is hard. This is a real truth, that I came to know, when I went to a continent where I was the minority.
When you want to go for a walk by yourself, someone is always following you. Kids, adults, and everyone in between. You never have alone time, but is God showing me that He wants me to live in this. The uncomfortable. YES!!
Yes, this is hard. Living in the uncomfortable situations can be hard. Not checking out when you have alone to, because you really can’t, is hard, but when you live in it and let God work in the small situations that you come across, you get to experience real, authentic community, and this I am grateful for.
