Comfort for the Multilingual: God Speaks the Language of Your Heart
God has spoken to me before in both English and German. I understand better now that it doesn’t matter if I can’t define the language of my heart.
God has spoken to me before in both English and German. I understand better now that it doesn’t matter if I can’t define the language of my heart.
I am devoted to my parents’ country only because my dad was devoted to serving and being faithful in his service. The way we, his kids, behaved was a reflection of Dad.
I continued to watch and film and take the occasional picture. I wanted to capture the memory, to be able to share it with others precisely how it was, to never forget this moment. But as I did so, I found my mind wandering…
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.
You may feel too young, untalented, inexperienced, timid, ill-equipped, underqualified, untrained, needy, or sinful to do whatever it is you think God wants you to do….But we serve a God who is so much bigger than you or me.
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.
Friend, it doesn’t end with today’s pain. It ends with tomorrow’s promise. One day, we will be in that lasting city. Instead of dwelling on the problems of today, let’s see them as promises for tomorrow. These promises for tomorrow can start today.
Are you sick of living in fear? I know I am. The TCK life can introduce a myriad of fears – fear of interacting with people who may stereotype you, fear of not knowing what will happen in the next country, fear of committing social faux pas … you name it …
I’m not a missionary kid. People often assume that I am and are confused when I try to clarify: Yes, I’m a Christian. Yes, my family lives in a “foreign” country. But no, we’re not missionaries in the technical sense of the word. Somehow, admitting to the fact produces a sense of inferiority. Where’s the purpose in “just living” in South America when I’m not doing special mission work?