Jenny and I had an interesting discussion a couple of days ago that really made me think. For some reason, we started talking about having stuffed animals when we were younger. Jenny shared some about her home life that was interesting, but I won't go into to much detail. What caught my attention was when she started talking about a doll that she wanted in a store. She said that when she was a child, she would pass the store and daydream about having the doll. Unfortunately, it was too much money, and a doll is a frivolous thing to buy.
She explained that when she was young, she used to love WaiWai (the instant noodles that are delicious that made me sick earlier). But WaiWai was 10 rupees, which back then was probably around .30 or .40 cents. Her parents couldn't afford it, let alone buy her a doll. When she shared that, I instinctively tried to relate to her story by saying that my parents didn't have much money when I was a baby. I shared about how they were young and both had school to pay for, but I didn't go on. The more I talked, the more I understood that our situations were completely different. I only have my story and knowledge to use to try to understand Jenny's story, but it isn't enough. My world in America is a million times different from Jenny's here. Her family's poverty when she was a child can't begin to come close to mine.
Yet we are alike in so many ways. After she told me that story and I shared about my family, she told me that when she was old enough to have some money of her own, she bought several stuffed animals. I shared my young love of stuffed animals. We reminisced about piling them all on our beds, millions of miles away from each other. We lived in different worlds and had completely different levels of understanding about not having much money. But we were both teddy bear lovers as children. We both wanted things that we were not able to have. We were both loved by our parents who did their best to provide for us. I could go on.
The world is a complicated place. I feel like I shouldn't compare myself to Jenny, but I have to. It's all I have. But by comparing my situation, the reality of hers becomes even more apparent, and perhaps it works the same for Jenny. And after that, here we both are, together, as sisters in Christ, teaching languages to missionary students at AICS. Our unlike pasts become our alike present. But even in our unlike pasts, we were still sisters in Christ, though we didn't know it. I'm so grateful for our church family all over the world.
I'm preaching this morning, so I need to get ready. I don't have any pictures from the past few days, because I haven't done anything out of the ordinary, but more adventures are coming next week. I'll fill you in soon. :)
She explained that when she was young, she used to love WaiWai (the instant noodles that are delicious that made me sick earlier). But WaiWai was 10 rupees, which back then was probably around .30 or .40 cents. Her parents couldn't afford it, let alone buy her a doll. When she shared that, I instinctively tried to relate to her story by saying that my parents didn't have much money when I was a baby. I shared about how they were young and both had school to pay for, but I didn't go on. The more I talked, the more I understood that our situations were completely different. I only have my story and knowledge to use to try to understand Jenny's story, but it isn't enough. My world in America is a million times different from Jenny's here. Her family's poverty when she was a child can't begin to come close to mine.
Yet we are alike in so many ways. After she told me that story and I shared about my family, she told me that when she was old enough to have some money of her own, she bought several stuffed animals. I shared my young love of stuffed animals. We reminisced about piling them all on our beds, millions of miles away from each other. We lived in different worlds and had completely different levels of understanding about not having much money. But we were both teddy bear lovers as children. We both wanted things that we were not able to have. We were both loved by our parents who did their best to provide for us. I could go on.
The world is a complicated place. I feel like I shouldn't compare myself to Jenny, but I have to. It's all I have. But by comparing my situation, the reality of hers becomes even more apparent, and perhaps it works the same for Jenny. And after that, here we both are, together, as sisters in Christ, teaching languages to missionary students at AICS. Our unlike pasts become our alike present. But even in our unlike pasts, we were still sisters in Christ, though we didn't know it. I'm so grateful for our church family all over the world.
I'm preaching this morning, so I need to get ready. I don't have any pictures from the past few days, because I haven't done anything out of the ordinary, but more adventures are coming next week. I'll fill you in soon. :)
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