26 November, 2016

Five-Minute Friday: Stream-of-Conscious Surrender!

For today's post, I am following the one-word prompt from Kate at Heading Home. This has been a good way to keep me on track posting somewhat regularly. 

If you want to join, click that link to her blog. Every Friday is a new word, and the only rules are: 
Write for 5 minutes. 
Link your post on hers. 

It's pretty cool, and I find a new blog every week.
(Now if only I would make the time to revisit more often during the week.)
 
This week's one-word is "Surrender".
 
Timer starting...

Sometimes, the word-cue makes it difficult for me to narrow down my thoughts. In fact, my post today will simply be a list of different ideas "surrender" brings to mind, in no particular order:

~  I gave up a lot of control by getting rid of almost everything back home and moving to China two months ago.

~  Sometimes when we are out on errands, I simply surrender to my husband's wishes of what to do next or where to go. We may both have opinions, but if it doesn't matter in the long run, I say, "I'll do whatever you choose," and we continue happily. (He does the same for me.)

~  I have two contentious relationships with siblings that I have surrendered to prayer - we do not make direct contact, but I love them both and wish them good things.

~  My health is somewhat at the whim of Beijing: I walk a lot which is great; I eat more fresh and less processed foods, which is great; I watch the air quality daily, but don't always wear a mask when I should, so some days I'm blowing grey dust out of my nose (gross), which is not great; we have a terrible bed and I'm losing a lot of sleep, which is bad for my health.

~  Very recently, on a 24-hour train ride (an entire blog post in itself, which I intend to write next, so come back!), I surrendered to a panic attack when I awoke in the middle of the night, on my 3rd-tier bunk in a shared room, and could feel the ceiling closing in on me. I was up for 5 hours in the middle of the night, in increasingly cold (we were heading north) temperatures, rather than attempt to sleep in such close quarters. 

~  I hate to keep harping on about all the changes from moving overseas, but it's basically the crux of my existence these days! Before moving, we prayed a lot and came to the conclusion that, as difficult as it would be, this was God's will, and we had to surrender to it. 

Time's up. More than 5 minutes, actually. Sorrynotsorry!

8 comments:

  1. Life is so stuff, isn't it? I'm like you with my husband and going with whatever is good at the time, either my idea, or his, whichever fits.

    You can find me here:
    https://awifesreflections.wordpress.com/2016/11/26/five-minute-friday-surrender

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  2. I remember those first days in a new-to-me-land. I've done it three times now: Bangladesh, Niger and now Quebec City, and it is the same, but different. Surrendering to God's will, the inescapable realities of our new places - makes me think of the Serenity Prayer. :-) Blessings on your new life and may God hold you close through this time of transition!

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    1. You are so right. Learning the language will definitely make it easier!

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  3. I am so proud of you and what you are doing!! Keep writing about it. You will look back someday and say "I can't believe we did that". Sorry about the bed. Can you get a new one? Can't wait to hear more about the train ride. Panic attacks are not fun, I'm sure! Hold on tight to that wonderful husband. You found a keeper!!

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    1. I think we're basically sleeping on the box spring? Maybe? So we could get another one, but our memory foam in the States was the first bed that didn't hurt my husband's back, so we're kind of holding out.

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  4. Ugh, I can't imagine what the air pollution must be like! I've been complaining a lot about my lung ailments, but your poor pipes must be suffering!

    I can't wait to hear about the train story... foreign country train stories are the BEST. I mean, I'm sorry about the panic attack part... but it sounds like it's gonna be a good story in retrospect!

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    1. I think I'm going to blame the pollution on my constant runny nose and the fact that my voice hasn't fully returned from the cold that I should be over by now.

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I enjoy a good debate. Feel free to shake things up. Tell me I'm wrong. Ask me why I have such a weird opinion. ...or, just laugh and tell how this relates to you and your life.