This sounds like a wonderful experience - and it is - but it's also very difficult. In the past few weeks we've been consistently stripped of things. Now that we're more than a month into our time here, we can look back and see all the things that have been taken away from us ... and we're pretty sure God's not done yet!
We've been stripped of possessions. We recently had some of our clothes stolen while they were hanging to dry at Pastor Quina's house. We left behind many things when we made the move to the Dominican Republic, like our house, car, furniture, appliances, yard, etc. There have been times in the last month that we have yearned for many of these things.
We've been stripped of comfort. The place we live is very nice by the world's standards. We have everything we need, and more. But it's not home. It doesn't have soft carpet, comfortable couches, a quiet back yard or consistent electricity. Instead it has concrete floors, a metal roof, inconsistent electricity, lots of noise and lots of ants! Many people in the world would consider themselves very lucky to live there, and we're very grateful as well, but it's not comfortable. And it's not easy.
We've been stripped of relationships. When we said yes to the call of God to come to the Dominican Republic for a year we knew it meant saying goodbye to many people ... for at least a year. We counted the cost and we are convinced that following Jesus is more important than any earthly relationship. But, that doesn't mean we don't need those people. We miss being able to walk a few blocks to visit with family, or drive a few minutes to visit with friends. We have friends here, but it's not the same.
We've been stripped of our identity. We no longer hold the positions we used to hold. Dan is no longer a graphic designer or a do-it-yourselfer handyman. Katie is no longer a volleyball coach or a stay-at-home mom like she was back home. We are no longer part of the majority race. We can no longer communicate clearly with the people in our lives. (Side note: When you can't communicate clearly people tend to treat you like you can't do anything else well either. I wonder how many times I've treated someone as incapable just because he/she couldn't communicate clearly or was socially awkward.)
What will we be stripped of next?
No matter what else there is in our lives that needs to be removed, we know God will use it to draw us closer to Him. With every item that has been stripped away, we've sensed the voice of God asking us, "Where do you find your joy? Was it in that thing or in me?"
We are starting to see how many things in our lives have become idols - the things we run to or lean on for our joy, comfort and peace. We can now see how our identity has become wrapped up in the things we have, or the things we can do, or the positions we hold.
God has been asking us, "Who do you think you are? Are you a graphic designer or my child? Are you a white American or my disciple? Are you comforted by the things of this world or only by me?"
As we say goodbye to more and more things, we are realizing that we have nowhere to turn but to our Heavenly Father. He truly is all we need!
When our clothes get stolen we can shrug our shoulders and say, "We still have Jesus!"
When we see ants crawling across our dining room table, hoping to find a crumb from our plates we can smile and say, "Thank you, God, for this food."
When the power goes out and our ceiling fans stop moving we can pray, "Heavenly Father, please keep us cool tonight."
And when misunderstandings happen because we can't fully understand the language or the culture we can trust God to give us every word we need to fulfill His purposes.
So, what about you? Do you have idols that have replaced your Heavenly Father? If so, you can get rid of them now ... or you can wait until He does it for you!
