As expatriates, we have found that our traditions have blended not only with Hungarian traditions, but they have also merged with those of other expats. In our small expat community, we have English, Irish, American and Finnish people. Other Brits may be horrified to learn that we have even celebrated the 4th of July!
We have also adopted other traditions such as the white elephant gift exchange. It is amazing how much fun it is to watch people open worthless and unwanted gifts at Christmas time. Our children are very creative and are able to find really undesirable gifts! I didn’t know the origin of the game however until I received my UCB Word For Today notes via email.
How a White Elephant Causes Problems
‘When the King of Siam wanted to destroy an enemy, he supposedly gave them a white elephant. In those days white elephants were considered sacred, and nobody dared refuse a king’s gift. The trouble was, white elephants couldn’t be put to work, but they had to be fed – a lot! So the king’s ‘gift’ ended up causing his enemy’s downfall.’
When I think about the last year, it is easy to identify many white elephants in our lives. They are the things that have distracted us from our purpose in being here. They have drained our energy, our time and our passion for life. Often these things in our lives are not necessarily ‘undesirable’ however, if they take us off track and off purpose they become our downfall.
Get Rid of White Elephants in Your Lives
We are now more observant and are trying to identify the ‘white elephants’ in our lives. We want to remove the things that waste our time. Roy recently downloaded a programme called Rescue Time. It is a time management programme designed to increase productivity and identify where time is being lost.
The Bible encourages us to get rid of distractions. What are the white elephants in your lives?
Hebrews 12:1-3 (ESV)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Do Not Grow Weary
Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!
