Hey there. Recently, I've been thinking a lot about friendships...particularly about how friendships we build often come in and out of our lives like seasons. This is difficult for me to try and live out because I find it taxing to let people go. Before college I really didn't have a concept of seasonal friendships, so this is fairly new to me. However, being from North Dakota, it makes that much more sense! I sincerely enjoy all of the different seasons, but the transitions and adjustments to each season are conflicting. Example: I love this summer weather...but man I wish I could see some snow! That really is similar to how I feel about friends. It will take me more time and life experience to better manage the emotions that come with the flow of people brought into my life; and I think it will probably always be hard. In the mean time, (instead of being sad I'll "lose" them) I'm gonna try to practice just enjoying others while they're near and being thankful to know so many truly wonderful people.
Wanted you all to be reminded again of my gratitude. So....THANK YOU!!! (There's a lot I'm thankful for..I'll leave it to you to fill in the blanks as to why I'm for you.)
Cultural lesson:It's very easy to slip into a repetitive cycle of human nature known as judgment, when you're surrounded by the unfamiliar- unfamiliar to you. It is therefore essential to always try to have the posture of a learner. I have had to remind myself of these things during my adjustment in this new place. But sometimes I just really want to understand something (this has been relevant not just with culture but with God as well); and instead of patience, I will often choose an answer...because that's faster! Something like this came up a bit ago.....
Not too long after we came here, we learned the Thai word for "cute". Every now and then I'd say to a child in Thai: "So cute!", and I'd be so proud of myself for remembering the word! I noticed a couple times that some Thai people would look at me a little funny, but I thought it was just because of my accent or something. What I found out is that Thai people don't often call children cute. I was then told about a more appropriate phrase I could use, which translates to something like "I wanna bite you". (For those of you who know how much I love kids...how perfect is that right?!). However, among family, children are mostly referred to the equivalent of ugly or dog poop. They don't really think their child is ugly or like dog poop; it actually means the child is adorable. The reasoning behind calling a child these things is that it used to be believed that if you call a child cute, it could bring the child to the attention of evil spirits.
I found all of this out over a few weeks, but I know when I was first told about why Thai people call children ugly, I decided to judge based off of little information instead of being a learner. See I assumed that many people really were afraid of these evil spirits, and called their children ugly out of fear. Then someone brought up how Americans say "bless you" after someone sneezes. (If you don't know how the phrase originated and you're interested, you should google it quick!) Then I thought about how I use that phrase...it's really just a cultural thing now. For me, and most Americans I think, the phrase "bless you" isn't really tied to its origins anymore. A lot like calling a child ugly isn't really out of fear, it's simply a cultural thing. I was so thankful for this comparison because it almost jolted me back into a learner position- a place I never wanted to move from in the first place.
Being a learner is rather enjoyable because it almost forces a person to just laugh at themselves...and I'm pretty good at that! But in all the laughter and excitement, I also have many moments in which I see a need for mercy and hope. I try to continually pray and choose to be joyful because I am thankful for this opportunity of intense character development! Hope you enjoyed the example of something I've learned, and that you would be growing an appreciation for other cultures around you as well!
As you ponder or pray, please keep this in mind:
I've been hoping for a spirit of satisfaction to fall over our team.
and...another prayer
How long Oh Lord must we wait for you?
In between the moments we feel close to you and embrace your hope, we are surrounded by a hurting, oppressed world. Then to ponder on the lawlessness that rages in my soul…the many offensive ways in me. Sometimes you seem so far away from us; whether we be the: rich or poor, happy or sad, oppressed or privileged, “saved” or “not saved”, smart or not smart, hopeful or hopeless…we miss you Lord, we fear you, we will wait for you. And we thank you because you are love and…you are near. Lord we extol you for you are God with us!