redefining normal.org

Superman….

I have been thinking a lot about this song lately. I think in America I tried to do too many things to help too many people. This was a helpful goal and idea, but gave me an unrealistic lifestyle and made me very tired. I had my family, my friends, my job, my youth kids & their families, my personal time, etc….

Maybe it’s because I am 40. Mid-life thoughts? I am slowly realizing that I cannot be everything to everybody. I need to say “no” more often. I need to be intentional with my time for my kids, my wife, myself, and our times together. I need to realize that somethings in life are not as important as I make them or as other people tell me they are. I need more wisdom and discernment. I guess what I am saying is that I need less of me and more of Jesus.

It’s ok to bleed, be real, and cry. It’s ok to stop doing life and start living it. I am loving life in Poland. I am constantly reminded everyday of my limitations. I live in a country where the language is extremely difficult. The culture is very different. I do not fit in here. I totally understand being a stranger in a strange land. I am an alien in Poland. I cannot do this on my own. My creative, experiential “genius” will never supersede the fact I speak like a one year old.

I cannot pretend to fly here in Poland. I think that is a good thing.

I guess that’s normal,

JR

My experience in language learning before my experience in Poland was limited to high school spanish class. To this day I remember the verb conjugations and a lot of vocabulary. I really enjoyed learning spanish back in the day. I even was able to use my spanish skills on mission trips to Mexico. Spanish proved to be an easy, yet useful skill set learned.

Fast forward 20 years and here I sit. I am totally immersed in a foreign country, learning a new way to communicate. If someone would have told me that Polish was one of the hardest languages for english speakers to learn, I might have chosen to go to Spain. Polish has been a very difficult experience. I have been here over a year and can barely have a normal conversation with children. I am discouraged often. However, when I look back to where I was one year ago, I have made leaps and bounds in my language study. I guess it is all perspective. That’s what I am learning these days. This is my new reality.

Oh well, guess that’s normal…

JR