Living an international life and being a "traveling teacher" isn't always as glamorous and non-stop fun as it sounds, or looks. In the traveling and teaching I'm doing this year, I've realized it can have some very lonely moments for this single young woman. It's hard to get up motivation to go check out a cool restaurant or landmark by yourself, take photos and then post them on facebook or a blog just to be able to share them with someone besides....yourself.
But, this post is actually not about loneliness, it's really about the fact that people join us on our path that we are walking. What a blessing it is to have a companion by your side, if even for a short walk. My time in Central Asia was just that, coming alongside some people who at some points in life have climbed mountains with me. As we walked the short path this spring together, we recounted harrowing tales of heights and depths and praised God for all he had done.
Coming to Thailand, to teach, to have a lot of alone time to read and catch up on emails and blogs while the students study and the staff work in between teaching times, I also had the chance to spend a few days with friends. The beauty of working in the organization I'm in is getting to meet so many incredible people from all over the world. The difficulty is 9 times out of 10 and often even 10 times out of 10, you say goodbye to everyone you have the privilege to meet. We've referred to it as the "revolving door"....but I think revolving doors are fun and these goodbyes are not so fun.
I got to catch up with two people who were in the SBS last year, people of high caliber, devoted to Jesus and world mission, and both pursuing the passion of their hearts in a way that challenges me, encourages me and makes me want to get up in the morning and keep doing what I'm doing. I got to meet my friends' fiancé....a woman that he has loved so much that he's embraced her culture and language as his own. That's beautiful. I also got to see another friend who our lives crossed paths briefly in the mountains of Colorado oh, so long ago. And both of us have gone through ups and downs, life and even death sometimes keeping in touch and sometimes keeping silent, but our paths crossed once again and I got to meet his special love of his life as well. To rejoice together with them with all God is doing in their lives is also a special gift of this trip.
As a single woman in my 30's, traveling a lot, doing the "hello-goodbye" thing with so many people, I often fixate on the times my path is a solo one. Those long stretches of quiet can scream at you sometimes, accuse you of deeply painful things: worthlessness, inadequacy, etc. But I don't want to be a woman who becomes embittered at the loneliness, but rather one who drinks in the multi-faceted companionship that God enables me to have in the life that he has laid out for me. This trip has made me realize how truly blessed I am to have friends literally all over the world. To have the problem of not having enough time to hang out with the people as long as I want. I have more friends I am catching up with in the city I'm teaching in as well. How truly, truly good God has been to me, and continues to be.
To those of you out there who read this blog and our paths have intersected many, many miles ago....who knows, God will hopefully allow us to journey together again. For those of you who trod down life's daily path with me in today's season of life, your friendship is a constant blessing and one that may bring pain to leave one day but makes my life richer and your presence in my life is worth the fact that it's painful to say goodbye. Friendships are worth the risk of investing your heart into, I'm convinced of that.
But, this post is actually not about loneliness, it's really about the fact that people join us on our path that we are walking. What a blessing it is to have a companion by your side, if even for a short walk. My time in Central Asia was just that, coming alongside some people who at some points in life have climbed mountains with me. As we walked the short path this spring together, we recounted harrowing tales of heights and depths and praised God for all he had done.
Coming to Thailand, to teach, to have a lot of alone time to read and catch up on emails and blogs while the students study and the staff work in between teaching times, I also had the chance to spend a few days with friends. The beauty of working in the organization I'm in is getting to meet so many incredible people from all over the world. The difficulty is 9 times out of 10 and often even 10 times out of 10, you say goodbye to everyone you have the privilege to meet. We've referred to it as the "revolving door"....but I think revolving doors are fun and these goodbyes are not so fun.
I got to catch up with two people who were in the SBS last year, people of high caliber, devoted to Jesus and world mission, and both pursuing the passion of their hearts in a way that challenges me, encourages me and makes me want to get up in the morning and keep doing what I'm doing. I got to meet my friends' fiancé....a woman that he has loved so much that he's embraced her culture and language as his own. That's beautiful. I also got to see another friend who our lives crossed paths briefly in the mountains of Colorado oh, so long ago. And both of us have gone through ups and downs, life and even death sometimes keeping in touch and sometimes keeping silent, but our paths crossed once again and I got to meet his special love of his life as well. To rejoice together with them with all God is doing in their lives is also a special gift of this trip.
As a single woman in my 30's, traveling a lot, doing the "hello-goodbye" thing with so many people, I often fixate on the times my path is a solo one. Those long stretches of quiet can scream at you sometimes, accuse you of deeply painful things: worthlessness, inadequacy, etc. But I don't want to be a woman who becomes embittered at the loneliness, but rather one who drinks in the multi-faceted companionship that God enables me to have in the life that he has laid out for me. This trip has made me realize how truly blessed I am to have friends literally all over the world. To have the problem of not having enough time to hang out with the people as long as I want. I have more friends I am catching up with in the city I'm teaching in as well. How truly, truly good God has been to me, and continues to be.
To those of you out there who read this blog and our paths have intersected many, many miles ago....who knows, God will hopefully allow us to journey together again. For those of you who trod down life's daily path with me in today's season of life, your friendship is a constant blessing and one that may bring pain to leave one day but makes my life richer and your presence in my life is worth the fact that it's painful to say goodbye. Friendships are worth the risk of investing your heart into, I'm convinced of that.
1 comment:
Its a privilege calling you friend, Danika. I am all too familiar with the long lonely journey you described and I just wanted to say that you are a rare and special person to endure this for Jesus. Thank you for your genuine and humble heart and for your perseverance through the tough journeys. You're an inspiration and I know the hope and future in his heart for you is coming soon. Bless you my friend. -Joe
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