Three New Things I Did Today

Have you ever started worrying about something small until it became something so big and scary you weren't sure how to handle it? I realized this week that there are a few things that I've been allowing to build into huge scary things. Last week I started reading about another Katie, about my age who felt called to forgo college and move to Uganda and start an orphanage. So she did.

In her blog she touches on the subject of fear several times. In the end it was this that struck me: For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power, love and self control – 2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV).  I know that God has given me a spirit of power and love with some self control in there somewhere. It just took me a few days, and a lot of prayer to be reminded of that. I’m sharing three things that I've been scared to do. I did them all this week. And it’s only Wednesday.

1. Took a taxi by myself.

This is something that might not seem like a big deal to most of you. So why is it a big deal here? First off, my staff house pretty confusing to get to. After 2 and half months here, I’m finally just starting to figure out where I live. I’ve been worried about leaving the staff house and being unable to get back because I have no idea where it is. While that’s still a bit of a concern, I’m a lot more familiar with the city now so generally I know where I am.

The second reason is because taxis in Villahermosa operate slightly differently than anywhere else in Mexico. Here the taxi drivers will regularly pick up another customer who is heading in the same direction you’re going. When I go out with my friends, we usually fill the taxi and it’s not a problem. Sometimes if there are only two of us, then we have a guest join us. With just me in the taxi, who knows what other people will end up in the cab! Nothing about this has changed. I just sucked it up and went for it. And I survived. And now taxis don’t seem quite as scary.

2.  Got a haircut in another language.

 After living in foreign countries for 7 years, I never once had to get a haircut in another language. Seriously. I always just waited it out until we took a vacation.  I remember getting hair cuts in South Africa, London, and I think Namibia but these are all English speaking countries.

Now for this challenge, I did some research and preparation. Think about your last haircut and the amount of direction you gave. If you’re anything like me, it was more than a few words. I looked up words like ‘split-ends’ and ‘trim’.  Again, I just went for it. Took my taxi to the mall and walked in and asked for a haircut. And I did not end up bald, thus making it a successful trip in my book.

3. Talked to my boss about getting time off at some point.

Most of you might think it’s not a big deal to ask about getting time off. You would be correct. So why was I so freaked out? I was really really scared he would say no. I don’t think I can make it until May without seeing my family and friends. Thanksgiving was hard. Usually, I don’t spend Thanksgiving with my family anyway, so it came as a surprise to me when I was challenged by being here. That was when I truly started to think about being here during the holidays instead of with my family. Having something to look forward to (like a trip home) would go a long way in making the next few weeks easier. So finally I just sucked it up and asked.

So there you go, things that no longer scary me so much. There’s still a million little fears out there (we had a safety meeting today all about what to do if you get violently mugged.)  But now I’m more determined not to let a spirit of fear dominate my life here.