Feelings

I (Cheryl) happened to look at an old blog post entitled Feelings from 2016. I notice that often when we write newsletters or posts, we don’t mention feelings. We are just not feeling type of people, operating instead in the realm of action and thoughts. Mark and I often discuss this, especially when friends ask “How do you feel about …?” Is it a generational thing? Is it a personality thing? Are we just feeling-less? So here are some feeling words we’ve identified recently.

Blessed – We feel God has blessed us with the privilege of knowing people from around the world who love Jesus. Over the years in Beijing, we have been intricately involved in people’s lives who have grown in their faith in Christ. Watching young or new believers express a new-found peace and joy warms our souls. Based on what we have experienced, we can only imagine the joy in heaven when people from all nations worship the Lord together. ⁹ After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb (Rev. 7:5 NLT).

Not only that, Mark and I have recently had some really relaxing yet productive conversations during our evenings. Many people leave Beijing for their long winter break around Chinese New Year so we have taken advantage of some quiet evenings together. In a world where the work never ends, we need some quiet space and time just to ourselves. It’s really nice.

Healthier – Despite the common smog in Beijing, we feel healthier here than in the US. Actually this week we have had very little pollution since the cold winds came and blew the pollution out. We saw blue skies seven days in a row.

Because we walk almost everywhere and every day, we log about 5000-7000 steps in a normal day. We walk to the bus stop, catch the bus then the subway, then walk to our destination. It just feels so much better than getting in a car and driving. A walking lifestyle also contributes to a sense of community. We see people out all the time and enjoy chatting with them as best we can.

We eat healthier too. Chinese food uses simple, fresh ingredients cooked, yes with oil, but without the rich creams, sauces, and fats of typical American fare. Chinese food leans heavily upon fruits and vegetables with less meat so our GI tracts don’t feel as intense.

Torn – Mark and I love living and serving among ex-pats in Beijing. Yet we live a divided world. Many mornings we talk with our young adult kids back home, 12 (Daylight Savings time) or 13 (regular time) hours away. So our day might not begin until after 11am in Beijing. We love staying connected with our kids and their families yet we feel like we function with one foot in Beijing and one foot in SC. Yet this reminds us of the Christian life: one foot in this world and one foot in the next. We live here on earth with a view to eternity. Like Paul, we are torn. ²¹ For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. ²² But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. ²³ I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. ²⁴ But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live (Phil 1:21-24 NLT)

Frustrated – We often experience technological challenges. Where else does the internet randomly not work? How can cell phones get service but not laptops? Then after all day, a serviceman came and eventually unplugged and re-plugged in our router. Ugh, so simple yet so frustrating.

In our world of constant communication, a down internet hinders all productivity. Because of great distances within the city, we use email, text, and video chats to communicate and plan with people within Beijing. I often wonder how ex-pats lived in Beijing in the days before internet, text, and emails. I suppose people met in person more often.

Unsettled – Ex-pat life in Beijing resembles a revolving door. We often feel like we spend a lot of time figuring out who is here, who is staying, and who is leaving and when. People come and go so often that as soon as we get to know them, they return to their home country. We just said goodbye to a South African young lady who taught English for one year. She brought a lot of joy and vitality to our church and community. Her perky personality matched her red hair. At the same time we welcomed back a family from Australia that welcomed us in 2013. They stayed in Beijing for four years, went back to Australia for about two years and a few months. Now they return for a three-year commitment. We cherish the time we have each person, remembering the words of Scripture: ¹⁵ Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,¹⁶ making the best use of the time, because the days are evil (Eph. 5:15-16 ESV).

Pray for us, that we would take every thought captive and surround it with God’s Word.