Stretching

Thailand. I never thought I’d be here. I never thought I’d be here for two and a half months. I never thought I’d be stretched like I’ve been stretched. 

I had no idea what to expect when I came here. I had some ideas. Learning new skills, being immersed in a new culture, spiritual growth, I could’ve named all that before I got here. I’ve been sideswiped by the time. Usually when you know you will be experiencing something outside your comfort zone, you can mentally prep for it. You can shut everything down and focus intensely on getting through a challenge unscathed. What you can't plan for, however, is the endurance. I love being here, and I love the community that exists here. Its as close to what kind of community Jesus intended people to live in as we can get in today’s society. 

I underestimated how prepared I would need to be mentally and emotionally. 

I have far too little patience for others. Yet here I am learning patience.

I struggle even saying “I love you” to people. Love runs this entire place. 

I try to do everything on my own. My whole time here is spent as a part of a team. 

I hide my emotions and “disappear” from the world for a while. I am with people 95% of my time here.

I take people and relationships for granted back home. Being away brings a new meaning and so much more appreciation to everything I have back at home. 

Being so far for so long is one of the hardest, yet greatest, things a person can do. It pulls you out of your comfort zone, then makes no attempt to make life easy. Its not the family that I miss, although I do miss my family, its the lack of appreciation I had for them while I was there. This is a time of stretching. 

People don’t stretch for fun, they stretch so that when adversity comes, they won’t hurt themselves while battling through it. 

Life is a battle,………………………and I’ve never stretched. 

Relationships are hard,……………. and I’ve never stretched. 

Walking with God isn’t easy,……… and I’ve never stretched. 

Love is hard,……………………….. and I’ve never stretched. 

As I go through this time of stretching, I pray that isn’t doesn’t become easy, but that I can accept its importance. I pray that I can appreciate this opportunity. I pray that I can look into my life and be able to know how much this season will mean to me.