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 love to think that I am a mix of four cultures. I am so thankful for the Lord bringing each of them into my life at different times and for the things He has taught me through each of them…
“Where are you from?” a six-year-old girl asked, leaning close. The question made me gulp, as it always does. Even though it was “just” a child asking, I could feel insecurity rising. Simplifying my answer a lot, I named two countries…
Dear TCK, I get it. I truly do. But no matter how hard we try, we can’t get away from our differentness. The nature of our lives as TCKs and Christians is that God has called us to stand out. He has called us to be a light on a hill. He has called us to go against the tide of the culture. He has called us to serve the audience of One.
One would think that being a part of several cultures would bring more variety to one’s experience, but sometimes it has the effect of cancelling out everything about all the cultures instead …
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?
“If it doesn’t struggle now, it won’t get stronger because of it. Then later, it might die of something small that it would have managed.”
The infant reptile struggled with its confinements for what seemed like an eternity, but it eventually persevered and broke free….
