A Work In Progress: Breathing Out and Breathing In...

I think that January is, naturally, a time of reflection, assessment, planning and envisioning. I always feel as if the end of December and New Year’s is almost like a big exhalation as we ‘finish’ the year (although, more and more, Dec. 31/Jan. 1 seems like quite an unnatural point to end/begin a year...), before the long intake of breath which gets taken in in January to ‘launch’ ourselves into the New Year.

This time last year I was only beginning to recognise my decision to move to Germany. I had friends recently married, I was looking for employment and housing, and had no idea what the year ahead would end up being like, really. There followed the months of announcement, excitement, joy, grief, planning, panic, fear, trust, faithful provision and crazy generosity and provision.

This year I have other friends who are beginning that process of transition and trust, and while empathising with all the unknowing that they will be in the midst of for a while yet, I can now look back at my year and see how incredibly good it has all been.

This year, looking ahead, looks to hold slightly less hectic timelines, with perhaps slightly smaller transitions and changes, but still with a whole lot of learning, growing, adapting, discovering, challenging and being challenged. Kind of as if I’ve crossed a mountain range, but still have to get through the foothills before I reach the ‘sweet spot of green pastures’ of the valley below...

For me, the next few months will be trying to really focus on language-learning. It IS coming along, and it IS improving, but hopefully the next few months will begin to see a more comprehensive level of communication possible to me, which I hope will then help me begin to develop the next level of relationship and friendship here. The next few months will also still be about continuing to ‘get to know‘ the wider community and hopefully through that, begin to see the areas/ways that I might be most helpful and the biggest blessing that I might be. From that point, I will then begin to look at the possibilities for employment in or around those things.

So still lots of “stuff” in the air, as I continue to make my home here, and as the Polylux Team begins to look more into what does it mean for us to develop as a community. Looking at what HAS been done and what IS in place from over the past several years, but asking again what our role is to be in this place, NOW? Is it simply maintaining and continuing what has grown (and how or should they continue to grow and if so, in what ways?), or are there things we should be trimming back to create/focus on new/other aspects? Who ARE we, currently, 8 yrs ‘in’? What are we wanting to see ourselves become, in this place and overall, and what is the best way that those two things can come together to further equip, enable and release the people of the Datzeberg?

Hm, I think I’d better remember to breathe! ;)