Today I am hearing the Fiddler on the Roof song in my head, except instead of "tradition!" it's "transition". I'll be honest. Transition sucks. And when you're in the midst of working through major transition, having an enormous flood that ruins all sense of stability in your day to day life doesn't help much. As much as I enjoy waking up without an alarm clock, I wish we had school.
Transition is a strange beast. It leaves you floating, waiting, or as my friend put it: caught in the middle. God has provided me with great friends here, but at the same time, it takes time to settle in and find where you "fit". You know, and this may come as a surprise to many of you, my friends here actually had lives before I showed up. It's like in Chevy Chase's Christmas Vacation where the old aunt shows up, walks in the door and proclaims, "helloooo everybody!". So as much as I am figuring them out and where they fit in my life, they are figuring me out and where I fit in theirs. And unlike rice and noodles, friendship doesn't have an option for "instant". There are a variety of speeds to be sure, but it takes more than 60 seconds in a microwave to settle in.
And it's strange, but when you move to a new country on your own, friendships become insanely important. They are not just your friends, but your family as well- your connections to the world that exists outside your head (Yes, Clare, there is a world outside your head). So I am very grateful for the people that God has given me to walk beside me through this season of transition, even if we haven't quite all figured each other out yet. And, I am grateful for friends and family in both the US and Argentina who continue to walk with me even when I am far away.
My hope and prayer is that through the changes, through the seasons of waiting, the being caught in the middle, the wondering when the new normal will be established, God would continue to reveal himself to me in new ways, continue to teach me and mold me more and more every day into who HE created me to be. I know that I am exactly where I am supposed to be, even if, at times, I'm not really even sure where I am. I love Thailand- even in all its madness. I love ICS. I love being here and doing the work that God has called me to do, created me to do. But I don't love transition, and I look forward to the day when I can look back on it. Until then, on Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.
PS- As of now, the postal system appears to be working :)
Clare Messink
International Community School
1225 The Parkland Rd.
Khwaeng Bangna, Khet Bangna
Bangkok 10260 Thailand
Hey Clare! I can totally relate about the friends thing. I feel that the friends God puts in our lives while we are abroad are extra special amazing people because deep down you know that they know that you are going to leave at some point. And that is really hard. Leaving China after two years created some emptiness friendship wise - it's a struggle to just pick up and leave after forming such close knit relationships. (I'm sure you had this in Argentina too!) I hope that you find some awesome friends in Bangkok and we are all praying about the flooding! I am loving your blog =)
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