I'm sure we all know the guy that stuck around high school a little bit too long after graduation. He's 30 years old thinks he's cool because all the high schoolers come to his house for all the parties. He talks about how his time in high school were the glory years. Or the 8th year senior in college that is still changing his major but really just isn't ready to face the real world. Both of these guys have issues. They are trying to hide from reality. But what exactly is reality?
Now some people will tell me that life here in Japan is not exactly reality and I'm just biding my time until I go back to America and have a "normal life." There have often been times in the past few years where jobs have come up and people have told me, "you can come home and apply for this job!" But the truth is the more I see the world the more I want/need to see the world. Of course, it would be nice to be somewhat settled in my day to day type world but there is so much adventure to be had.
This past year for me has been the hardest to truly decide to stay. If you asked me if I was going to stay in June, I would have said NO. I even talked with my bosses in the summer and told them that I was probably leaving this next year. However, summer vacation gave me hope. It was the first time I got a chance to really see Japan in all its beauty. My brother's family and I road tripped around Japan and I saw actual Japan. There is nothing quite like the views of Japanese countryside. There are these amazing mountains, waterfalls, and towns that are just all over the place. Yet, its so easy to get caught up with the day to day of this job and truly miss the beauty of the life God has given me here in Japan.
I have a job with bosses that truly care about me and want nothing more than me to succeed and a school that is deeply founded in Christian principles that have even helped me to grow as a Christian. After the huge earthquake in 2011, they were the only ones that told me exactly like it was. Not America's embassy, not Japan but MeySen. It would be very difficult to find a school that treats you as well as MeySen does.
There are definitely struggles that go along with this too and the longer you are here the more those things can eat at you. But I think that is true with any job. I've had so many times in this past year where I questioned what I was doing with my life. If I stayed too long already and all kinds of negative thoughts. Pushing through all that, I have grown a true appreciation for what I have been given here and also how amazing God has been to me here. Not just at Meysen but in the position my life is in.
Just like most single 28 year olds, I think aw crap what am I doing with my life. I should be settled down with the picket fenced house and 2.5 children (yes point 5, and I love him the same). But when you get caught in the should be's you tend to miss that greatness of the moment you are in.
The one thing I plan to do differently in this next year is actually live like I live here. Often, us teachers tend to treat this job as a step to the next place. Then we find ourselves here for a longer time and wonder why we know no Japanese and still haven't taken the time to enjoy the culture we live in. So this next year, I plan on studying more Japanese, getting a car and living intentionally. Does that mean I will stay longer than a year? No, but it doesn't mean that I won't. In this next year I just plan to grow more as a person and in my walk with God, truly enjoying the life God gave me here.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight
-Proverbs 3:5-6
With this decision, the hardest part is how much I truly miss my friends and family that have cared about me through this whole experience and wait for me to come home. I would love nothing more than to see everybody and be home to visit everybody. Its honestly, the hardest part of committing to stay knowing I will not see many people and special events in their lives. Just know that if you are a person that still calls yourself my friend or family you will always be that to me no matter where I live and I can't wait until we can all see each other again!!!
Now some people will tell me that life here in Japan is not exactly reality and I'm just biding my time until I go back to America and have a "normal life." There have often been times in the past few years where jobs have come up and people have told me, "you can come home and apply for this job!" But the truth is the more I see the world the more I want/need to see the world. Of course, it would be nice to be somewhat settled in my day to day type world but there is so much adventure to be had.
This past year for me has been the hardest to truly decide to stay. If you asked me if I was going to stay in June, I would have said NO. I even talked with my bosses in the summer and told them that I was probably leaving this next year. However, summer vacation gave me hope. It was the first time I got a chance to really see Japan in all its beauty. My brother's family and I road tripped around Japan and I saw actual Japan. There is nothing quite like the views of Japanese countryside. There are these amazing mountains, waterfalls, and towns that are just all over the place. Yet, its so easy to get caught up with the day to day of this job and truly miss the beauty of the life God has given me here in Japan.
I have a job with bosses that truly care about me and want nothing more than me to succeed and a school that is deeply founded in Christian principles that have even helped me to grow as a Christian. After the huge earthquake in 2011, they were the only ones that told me exactly like it was. Not America's embassy, not Japan but MeySen. It would be very difficult to find a school that treats you as well as MeySen does.
There are definitely struggles that go along with this too and the longer you are here the more those things can eat at you. But I think that is true with any job. I've had so many times in this past year where I questioned what I was doing with my life. If I stayed too long already and all kinds of negative thoughts. Pushing through all that, I have grown a true appreciation for what I have been given here and also how amazing God has been to me here. Not just at Meysen but in the position my life is in.
Just like most single 28 year olds, I think aw crap what am I doing with my life. I should be settled down with the picket fenced house and 2.5 children (yes point 5, and I love him the same). But when you get caught in the should be's you tend to miss that greatness of the moment you are in.
The one thing I plan to do differently in this next year is actually live like I live here. Often, us teachers tend to treat this job as a step to the next place. Then we find ourselves here for a longer time and wonder why we know no Japanese and still haven't taken the time to enjoy the culture we live in. So this next year, I plan on studying more Japanese, getting a car and living intentionally. Does that mean I will stay longer than a year? No, but it doesn't mean that I won't. In this next year I just plan to grow more as a person and in my walk with God, truly enjoying the life God gave me here.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight
-Proverbs 3:5-6
With this decision, the hardest part is how much I truly miss my friends and family that have cared about me through this whole experience and wait for me to come home. I would love nothing more than to see everybody and be home to visit everybody. Its honestly, the hardest part of committing to stay knowing I will not see many people and special events in their lives. Just know that if you are a person that still calls yourself my friend or family you will always be that to me no matter where I live and I can't wait until we can all see each other again!!!
