Day 27: Threads

The month of November has been illuminating on a number of levels.  God has been spinning new threads of thought in constantly in my mind, each of different color, texture and weight.  Often, God teaches me by planting a stubborn question in my mind, or an idea, or by giving me a heightened awareness about a particular topic.*  I start to see or hear that topic everywhere, in music, in meetings, in scripture, in my friends' brain ramblings.  Usually the theme of focus is distinct and singular, one per season, maybe two if God's doing something crazy.  This month has been different.  God's been teaching and motivating me in several different areas that seem independent of each other, and try as I might I can't quite see how all the threads weave together.  It's like playing dot-to-dot without the numbers.

These are a few of the themes that have been growing in my lately:

• Specifically Designed for a Purpose (Original, right?)
• Doing "Single" Well
• Singles in the Church
• Brazil
• Hands-Off
• The Virgin Mary: Blessed and Limited

Many of these topics have intentionally misleading titles, as I intend to describe each one individually and in depth.  Oh, I can just feel the anticipation rising!  Some of these ideas are linked, but like I said earlier, others seem removed or disconnected.  Expect to see more ponderings on that in the upcoming weeks.

*I'm probably not alone in that. =)

Day 17: Researched Whelmed

I've often heard and repeated the joke about being 'whelmed.'  If a person can be overwhelmed, and underwhelmed, then why can't someone just be whelmed?  The joke of course is that 'whelmed isn't a real word.*  And what would it mean anyways?

My search for work has led me to the definition of what it means to be 'whelmed.'  I know there are scads of opportunities for work out in the world, and that much of it can be discovered with a few clicks on my computer.  But how do I know if I'm viewing credible schools?  Maybe I've just discovered a good website.  How do I know if the country is a place I could spend a large chunk of time.  Do I guess?  Ideally I'd visit each place, but I don't have extracurricular funds for wise ventures like that.  I can do a ton of research, which could easily make me feel overwhelmed, but I can easily get frustrated, or underwhelmed, by the information that's missing from the websites of individual schools.  So here we get at the definition of whelmed: the knowledge that the resources you need exist, but you lack the information or experience needed to procure them.

I'm headed into the third week of my prayer month, and I feel like God is pointing me in toward one or two open doors, but I haven't yet diligently pursued other options.  I think God uses open doors as guides, but I don't want to lazily take the path of least resistance.  I don't want the echoes of 'What if...'  to follow me to my next job.  I want to sink my teeth into my next job, and I can't do that if there's a language barrier.  If I choose another international position, I'll have to invest time and effort into learning the language.**  Tonight I started researching individual schools in a few Eastern European countries, but I think I was getting the cart before the horse.

Here's the new plan:

1. Listen to a news reel in the country's indigenous language.
2. Listen to traditional music.
3. Learn about the country's history, read its news, and find out what's trending socially.

THE NEWS REEL.  When I first arrived in China, I had a difficult time adjusting to the sound of spoken Chinese.  I find it rather gutteral and accusatory.  My apologies if it's your native language, or if you find it entrancing.  My opinion is merely an opinion, and that's how it lands in my ears.  As a musician, it's difficult to be constantly surrounded by sounds that seem harsh and unyielding.  My current plan is really helpful because I associate the sound of the language with the country as I read about it.

TRADITIONAL MUSIC.  I was a musician before I became a teacher.  There are some parts of Chinese music that really appeal to me, and there are other forms of music that are difficult for me to engage with/reconcile to/understand/enjoy/tolerate - take your pic of descriptor as you listen to Exhibit A. (This piece is actually pretty easy to get into.)

HISTORY, NEWS, AND TRENDS.  I think these topics are pretty self explanatory.  Sometimes I find myself woefully ignorant about basic information, like current politicians, names of provinces and territories, and common expectations of foreigners.  I need to know the basics before I enter into another country long-term.

So far, this process has taught me that Albanian is too angular for me to listen to for more than a few minutes, and Georgian music sounds like Argentinian Folk sung in Arabic.  Not bad for a couple hours of internet time.***

• Please pray that I only give community input its due amount of import.  My goal this month is to listen for God's guidance, not the crowd's.  I need discernment.
• Please pray for health.  I got a hit of food poisoning this morning. That's never fun.
• Please pray that people will step up as prayer partners over the Thanksgiving holiday.
• Please pray for creative direction and possibilities, for the merging of ideas, and release of desire for things that aren't a part of the best design.  I enough ideas and inspirations for a hundred lifetimes, and sometimes that can be counterproductive to decision making.
• Please pray that the students I am supposed to teach will take a prominent position in my heart as I look ahead.

And health and health and health....food poisoning is just the worst thing created.  Ever.****

*Just kidding, it is.  I noticed my spellcheck wasn't angry, so I looked it up.  Apparently it's a verb that means 'to wheel around' or 'to wheedle out.'  And now you know the rest of the story.

**Thanks to a couple of blunt and discouraging teachers, I have an aversion toward learning languages.  One told me that I couldn't understand my classmate's appreciation for their native cultures, and another actually described my French as 'atrocious' and 'sterile.'  Now that I can evaluate these people through my teacher-lens, I can see that they themselves weren't very good teachers.  Even so, I have very little confidence when it comes to acquiring new languages.  I'm not accustomed to lacking confidence.  I don't handle it very well.

***I have further decided that the internet is a magical place that reveals the secrets of the universe.  Seriously, it's amazing that it can all fit into a cellphone.

****Besides heartbreak.

A Brief Request

This past week has been crazy busy and fun!  I've been running on minimal sleep, but endless energy.  I can only rationalize that I feel as well as I do because of all the support coming my way from home.

I have a lot to say about this week, but no time to write as of yet!  I do have a particular request though:

Please pray for my heart on November 12th.

I've been feeling very....whole lately, but that day is going to be particularly tough on me.  Please pray that God will direct my thoughts and focus where He wants them.

I will write a full update as soon as I'm able!

November: A Month of Intercession

This year, I've dedicated the month of November to intercession.

I love teaching.  I believe it's the work God has put before me.  Working abroad has been wonderful, challenging, and life-changing.  Though I feel my time in China is drawing to a close, I don't know if God is pulling me back to the United States or not.  I'm considering many places and options, including Ukraine, Brazil, Oregon, Dubai, and Palestine.  I have many ideas about the changes in store for my life and my career, but I want my decisions to be grounded in God's will and direction.

I believe prayer works, and I believe it works even better in company.  During the month of November, I would love to have a prayer partner every day as I prepare and apply for work around the world.  Please consider joining and supporting me in prayer as I research and prepare for the next leg of my journey!

If you're able to join me, please comment on this post to tell me your name,* and which day you're committed to.  A red 'X' marks days that people are praying.

*All comments are submitted for approval.  For the sake of privacy, names will be removed before the comments are published.