I listened to the audio version of The Preacher's Wife by Kate Bowler. While the book focuses on America and the "Precarious Power of Evangelical Women Celebrities," I was struck by the pendulum swings of what worked in one era, sounded tone deaf in another.
In acknowledgement of our own pendulum swings, I find that currently most online spaces for cross-cultural workers emphasize the hard parts of being a cross-cultural worker. Which, I know, is in response to those hard parts not being given any space. This swing was a needed course correction. But as with many a course correction, the hyper focus on the hard parts of life on the field may not leave enough space for another story to coexist.
As I thought about my post this month, the book of Psalms came to mind. I love the richness of life represented by the different types of psalms and the variety of lengths.
So, in the spirit of Psalm 117, the shortest psalm, I remind us of this truth: life on the field can be confusing, disappointing, and hard.
It is also true that on the field is interesting, exciting, and easy.
Part of happiness is comes from building pauses to that give space to notice. Here are a few options for cross-cultural workers to pause in Advent this year.
You do not have to hide your happiness. It is okay to be happy on the field.
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