outsiders will attack you

outsiders will attack you, and some follow you

outsiders will attack you

i would be lying if i said that this year was a walk in the park. i have definitely had my fair share of miscommunication, struggle, argument, disagreement, sadness, discouragement, and even feeling attacked. these things happen. not just in slovakia, but everywhere. it is finding the strength in the fire to keep going. to follow the heat through to the other side. knowing that god is with me here, before, behind, and within, the frustrations, though big at the time, melt away into other joys that i find. the strength that comes from conflicts helps me the next time there is a conflict and the wisdom that i get from difficult interactions influences how i act.

so, yes. outsiders attack. every day we are under attack. not simply by people, but also by a society that tells us we are not good enough. then we go back to the fire. we go to the cross. we go to our god, who tells us that we are not only enough, but that we are god's beloved children. how much better could it be than that?

and some follow you

kind of a give in. not everyone will always disagree with you. somebody's eventually bound to agree. people follow. more than people following me, the kids follow me. when travelling, i usually take a bus that the kids use to get to or from school. the kids not only follow my comings and goings, but also follow me when i walk home. asking me how it was, where i went, what i did. the kids follow me and in the same way, they follow my actions. they pick up so much about the way we act in this world. knowing i have kids around me, i try to be extra-intentional in my actions. everything from how we greet each other to what i tell them about god to how i speak. the kids follow it all.

i've also been joined on this journey by more people than i could number. people who i didn't know at all a year ago, have become close friends. exchanging hugs, "ahoj"s, and "how are you?"s (with the follow up question of why). people have joined me on a journey of love and discovery of myself, of slovakia, of slovak culture, and of stories. i have been invited into lives that have forever changed me. those who "follow" alter the course. they bring their stories to the table and together we find new paths, new ideas, new adventures, and we make new stories. life is good when i have people with me on this journey.

oustiders will attack you, and some follow you