The Benefits of Stress

Sometimes life can be very uncomfortable here. Yes, it is a beautiful place. I love the food (although the variety is somewhat limited), the scenery and the beaches. Most of all, the people here are amazingly wonderful. Las Bahias de Huatulco could truly be described as paradise. In spite of all of those wonderful aspects, being here can be quite uncomfortable at times. And I am not talking about the heat and humidity.

Back in Rockford, we were quite comfortable. We lived in a nice house in a nice neighborhood with nice neighbors. We knew our way around and where to find whatever we might need. We were very comfortable being a part of our church, Rockford First. I was more than comfortable with my job at the Rescue Mission. All in all, we knew where we were, where we fit and, more or less, what to expect next. In other words, we felt a strong sense of comfort and security.

This is quite a different world. The culture here is very different. There are different customs, different taboos and in many ways, a different way of thinking. Add the different language,  the lack of familiarity with the physical surroundings and other issues and you have the makings of a very stressful life. We have a whole lot to learn.

Please don't get the idea that I am complaining or trying to get anyone to feel sorry for us.  I am actually very thankful for these circumstances. As I contrast the comfort back in Rockford with the stresses of living here, I have begun to realize that too much comfort is not always a good thing. In this setting, we always have to be paying attention. There is precious little room to allow our minds to wander. Living in this kind of environment tends to keep us alert and focused. We cannot afford to put life on cruise control and coast through our days.

What I am seeing clearly is that too much comfort can lead to complacency, laziness and a lack of appreciation for the blessings we enjoy. When we pretty much know what to expect next, we can navigate life on autopilot without having to really pay much attention. The worst result of this is that we can start to lose focus on how blessed we are and how much we need God's presence in our life.

In Illinois, I almost always knew where I was. I could get where I wanted to be without having to think too much about it. The problem with that kind of comfort is that it leads to drift. It happens little by little as we stop paying attention and get distracted. Before you know it, you've made a wrong turn or two and wind up where you didn't want to be. I don't think the Israelites turned away from God all at once. It happened one small deviation at a time. Imagine if a current TV show were to air back in 1960!

We thank God for the different challenges we face in life here and pray that we never become too comfortable. We are thankful because it keeps our focus and dependance on God.

In addition to the individuals we teach, we are now doing English classes at the Red Cross and at the hotel workers union hall. At the end of the class time at the union hall last Thursday, the students asked us to keep going. They didn't want to stop.

I was invited to preach at another local church this Sunday. God is opening doors to the message of grace. I pray that I am capable and obedient in delivering it. I have a great translator helping with both the delivery and the structure of the messages. I'm a little way yet from being able to speak adequate Spanish.