Reflecting back on the last two years in Hungary we have certainly experienced some unsettledness. At times the “soil” has shifted so significantly that it has felt like we were going to fall. The economic climate, fluctuation in our funds and the exchange rate have all been factors that have caused us to feel less stable, less secure.
When we have been insecure in our situation here the impact on our children has been huge. We can see them shift from being contented to nervous and tense kids who look like they are carrying the world on their shoulders. Probably the cause of most stress has been our housing situation, renting a house that the owners want to sell. The solution presented itself in buying the house, easier said than done. Cutting through the red tape in Hungary is like slicing through raw meat with a plastic knife. Difficult, not impossible but a bit wobbly at times!
DON’T LOOK AT YOUR FEET
One key thing we have learned is that when the soil is shifting don’t look at your feet. I first learned this when we were living in Colorado. The family decided to make the most of living close to the mountains and we embarked the adventure of learning to ski. I wasn’t blessed with sporting ability or grace so if you can imagine Bambi on ice you will get a clear picture of how I looked that first day on the snow. Roy and the kids were soon skiing with ease while I was still on the “bunny hill” and didn’t want to move. My instructor told me that my main problem was that I kept looking at my feet. I lacked the confidence to look anywhere else.
After the lesson Roy went on the same slope with me. He went ahead of me and kept encouraging me to look at him. As long as I kept my focus on Roy I kept upright, if I looked at my feet I soon ended up flat in the snow.
In Hungary I don’t look to Roy for my stability, but I have learned not to look at my feet. If we only look at each other in tough circumstances sooner or later we will meet with disappointment. We are only human after all! If we learn to keep our eyes fixed on God then, regardless of what we have to walk through, we can walk with confidence.
“I look to you for help, O Sovereign Lord. You are my refuge.” Psalm 141:8