Looking back at my 25th chapter of life, I am amazed and sometimes laugh at what I thought my life was going to look like when I was younger. I used to want to be married by age 25. I used to dream about being settled down in one city with a solid job. I thought that I was going to know what I wanted to do with my life at this age and chasing after it. This chapter has a completely different plot line than I thought it would. This time last year, I was one month away from saying goodbye to a country that I had grown to love and people I truly cherished in my life. I was willing to drop everything and trust in what my heart was telling me. I have become used to my nomadic heart and in all honesty it has probably become a bit more daring since last year. That helps this 26th chapter be filled with even more new adventures. And I think that is what makes this the most exciting narrative out of my entire book so far. Every birthday celebration that I have been a part of with interns has included one question. Whether we are sitting around breakfast, lunch, or dinner this question is asked for the birthday boy/girl to answer. The question is: What are two things that you hope to learn this year? It’s a pretty broad question but it is something important that I think we should zoom in on as we go into a new year of life. What are two things that you want to learn and take with you throughout the rest of your life? I have really been thinking about this question this week so I want to share with you what I want to learn through this next year. Plus, writing it down holds me accountable and makes it a promise to not only myself but you the reader as well.
1.) Wisdom
Obviously, learning is gaining wisdom but let me explain. Wisdom means so much more then being able to say a Bible verse from memory. Wisdom also means not saying that particular Bible verse when someone is spilling their heart out and just needs to be heard. Wisdom means more than understanding that someone is from a different country. Wisdom is being genuinely interested in their culture and understanding when they misunderstand something. The Webster dictionary defines wisdom as, “the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgement; the quality of being wise.” That is the type of wisdom that I want.
Gaining wisdom from experiencing new cultures and meeting new people. Gaining wisdom in new knowledge of different languages and ways of living. Gaining wisdom in having good judgement of when someone needs help or when someone just wants to be heard.
I hope that throughout this year I am able to read situations better with my eyes and be able to speak more life into people through my words. That my wisdom is not merely through memorizing things or reading more books. This year will be full of hands-on situations that will probably teach me more than I could have imagined. But I also hope that I am able to gain knowledge to share to others. This wisdom is not just for me to take in, but for me to share to the people who have no idea what life is like overseas. I take so much joy in talking about South Korea to others and being able to share with them what life is like there. The stories that I will be able to share on this blog and face to face when I get back will hopefully change people’s perception of these countries. I know that I will be drastically changed from this experience. There is no doubt in my mind that stories that I share or experiences I have will be something that I carry with me for the rest of my life. I want to be able to educate those around me with the wisdom that I find on this adventure. Wisdom is one word that comes to mind when I think about what I want to learn next year. Wisdom through experience, in gaining new knowledge, and through good judgement of people or situations.
2. Courage
Courage might not be something you think I need knowing that I am about to go to 11 different countries that I have never been for a year. Moving to a new place and traveling are two things that I am not fearful of. You can’t be scared of that when you are following where God calls you. I need courage in stepping out of my comfort zone and doing things that I never thought I could do. That could mean praying for someone that I see on the street. That could mean playing with kids in an orphanage when there might be lice. That could mean peeing over a hole full of poop. That could mean eating something that a host family offers me and I know my stomach might not like it. That could mean sleeping in an airport and not showering for a week. Honestly, all of these things are experiences that I know I might have. No one said the life of a missionary was easy and I am not called to a life of easy. I want courage to be able to step out and say,”You know what? It’s okay.” The experiences that we may have to face are a common daily thing for some. In 11 months we will be back to flushing toilets and cleanish water on tap. Take courage in knowing that we are walking into these places as people who want nothing more than to help in any way that we can. If that means that I have to bathe in a lake, lets go skinny dipping! (Just kidding I would wear a bathing suit!) But really, I want courage in being able to step out of that bubble of ,”That’s not right” and into the bubble of “Who cares? When is the next time you will be able to experience this?” I want strength in the face of anything that seems out of my comfort zone and joy through anything that I challenges me.
I guess through courage comes wisdom, but also through wisdom comes courage. Through courage, you gain wisdom through the experience that you would not have otherwise done. Through wisdom, you gain courage through knowing a little of the language or some of the social norms of the culture to approach someone. They both go hand in hand and they are two things that I hope to get out of this 26th chapter of life. Looks like the marriage and settling down will have to wait another year or so. (Sorry 20 year old Mary) I find it more exciting to travel the world and learn as much as I can about people in other cultures. This chapter promises to be a highlight of my book and the action just seems to keep building. Next year I will be writing my birthday blog post in Kyrgyzstan on my 8th month on the race and thinking of two new things I want to learn. This is where I end the 25th chapter with a cliffhanger and start the 26th. So, here we go:
“She sat staring at her iPad as she finished sipping her lukewarm cinnamon vanilla latte. The sun was casting a pink colored light over all of Redmond. “Next year I will be looking at the sunset in a different country half way across the world,”she thought. What adventure awaited was something that she looked forward to with every day that passed. She chuckled to herself as she locked her iPad until the next blog post would come to mind”
