This is a guest post by Glo Girl Karen King.
On my way to Spanish class this morning, I looked up and noticed how beautiful the mountains looked. The air was clear and the mountains were covered in snow. Yesterday was quite the opposite. It was cloudy and rainy and you couldn’t even see the mountains. So as I continued to drive, I thought about these two days and how different they were and how the difference reminded me of my life over the previous year.
It was this time last year that my family moved to Santiago, Chile for my husband’s job. Okay so what’s the big deal? Well, I was born and raised in Houston, Texas. And when Garry asked me to marry him, I told him that we HAD to live in Houston.
However, even though Garry and I both felt God calling our family to move, I don’t think I realized at the time how difficult it was going to be. The culture is so different in Chile, and the language barrier is significant. Did I mention I could only count to ten in Spanish and most people speak only Spanish?
In the beginning I experienced some very dark days. I grieved for my life back home. The only way to explain my sadness was that I experienced some very raw emotions. It grew so bad that my husband thought we had made the wrong decision to move here. I hadn’t felt raw emotions like that since the loss of our first baby. I didn’t feel like reading my Bible and I didn’t feel the Lord’s presence in my life.
However, as I gazed at the mountains this morning and reflected on the past year, I could see that God WAS with me every step of the way. For starters, I had spent years hiding God’s Word in my heart. There were days I would cry my eyes out and a scripture would come to mind. That encouragement would help me dry my eyes and move forward.
I also spent years hearing God’s Word. Sometimes I would feel paralyzed not wanting to do anything. And then I would remember the words from a godly woman, “Do the next thing even when you don’t feel like it.” That also would help me move forward.
Lastly, I spent years building godly friendships. There were days when I would tell God, “I can’t do this!” And then a card, an email or a call would come with encouraging words that told me, “You can do this! And I’m so proud of you.” Again, that would help me get through the day.
I realized that God was there with me even though it didn’t feel like it at the time, just like the mountains were there yesterday even though I couldn’t see them due to the clouds.
I also remembered how important it is to be in God’s Word (not only on Sunday morning!), to listen to godly teaching and to build friendships with those who love the Lord.
Seeing the mountains today reminded me that our God is BIG and He gives us the strength and guidance to walk through dark days.
Today, the sight of the beautiful mountains brings tears to my eyes. Because as the dark clouds lifted this past year, I see so much beauty and growth in my kids, my husband, my marriage and even in myself. Growth that was difficult and that I wouldn’t have seen if we stayed in Houston.
To God be the Glory for great things He has done!
Karen King is a born and raised Texas girl who has been married to Garry for 20 years. She has 3 children, Kaylee age 15, Addison age 12, and Garrison age 8. She is now a gringa living in Santiago, Chile. Her new obsessions are baking, exploring the inner city of Santiago and of course, learning Spanish. Check out her experiences in Chile at www.fromtexastochile.wordpress.com.