Getting Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable

I was in Seoul less than a week when I found myself on a city bus with an elderly Korean man on my right and a middle aged Korean woman on my left. My American frame already took up more space than the bus seat allowed, and I found myself quite uncomfortable. In fact, I was contemplating the best way to give my seat to someone else when my daughter snapped my picture. I wish I could post that picture on this blog. It clearly captures my intense discomfort in this the first of many culture shock moments during my early days in this wonderful, but very different, Asian culture.

Getting Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable was last week’s message. Discomfort is one of God’s primary tools in the lives of expat Christians.  It’s not easy to be thrust into a culture so different from our own.  Yet, God uses culture shock to teach us some of the most essential qualities needed in disciples of His Son, Jesus.  As expat Christians we have opportunities to let God teach us patience, gentleness, humility, and most importantly the ability to love those different from ourselves.  If you’re new to Korea and struggling with culture shock just remember – Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable is the key not only to adjusting to your new life, but to becoming the servant Christ is calling you to be.

The ‘International’ in SIBC

I had great plans for what I would write about in my next blog, but something happened that I cannot ignore. At church today, we sat in the balcony, behind Indians, beside Koreans and Americans, and I was served communion by an African. Our family has been going to SIBC for more than two years, and I’ve always appreciated the “international-ness” of the church, but today I realized how much God has done to bring us together.

Do you realize the incredible gift we have? The miracle that God has wrought in bringing us together? In some cases, our ancestors fought wars against each other or exploited and abused each other. As we sang “Amazing Love,” I cried, amazed by God’s love in us and through us. We – from such different backgrounds, cultures and languages – are united in our praise of the Almighty God, knit together as brothers and sisters because of his love. What a miracle!

As I sang, I knew that God was giving me a tiny glimpse of eternity. The crowds will be bigger, and the singing will undoubtedly be louder and more magnificent, but this is a small slice of heaven, and one that I will treasure as we prepare to return to the United States.  

 “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.” (Rev. 7:9)