At that moment, you realize you’re torn. You feel their unease because you’ve been there. You know you should reach out. But there’s another part of you that hesitates. You’re comfortable. You’re occupied. You’ve got friends…
God grants us His grace to not only sustain us and enable us to journey well but for us to also extend that grace to others. Grace lights us up so that we can be the light of the world and share His love with even the most undeserving.
As TCKs, we have a unique advantage for reaching out to foreigners. We know what it’s like to be a cultural misfit, to not quite fit in anywhere. God has given us the incredible gift of understanding what it’s like to be a sojourner. Likewise, He can develop in us the gift of compassion.
For the longest time, I thought I was alone in my TCK struggles. (Back then, I didn’t even have a name for it.) Over the last few years, I have discovered that this is far from the truth.
“America is the best country.” I looked at Alexander with a mixture of skepticism and incredulity. I couldn’t believe my ears …
“A fraud.” Why was this word continually plaguing my mind? As I met people and interacted with different cultures, I realized how easily I changed myself to try to be more accepted and liked …
“What’s it like to be a missionary?” It’s a question I’ve gotten many times before, especially on furlough. I’m often tempted to reply with a quick, “Oh, it’s great!” but that’s not the full truth …
It can often be hard to stop ourselves from feeling bitter toward the people who have wrong assumptions about places we’ve lived…
You will never find two people who share exactly the same story. But let’s say that many TCKs do have one thing in common: Their stories can’t be compared. They’re too different.
“It must feel so exciting to be here.” I heard that phrase so many times when my family moved to Scotland, and I often felt angry at the people who said it. Could they imagine the pain that comes from tearing yourself away from your homeland? …
