Our family moved to the beautiful country of Uganda just five weeks ago. Having lived in Indonesia for the last eight years, I anticipated a few bumps in the transition, but all in all I expected to shift to a new country, culture, life with relative ease. I have eight years under my belt, right? Wrong.

I forgot.

I forgot arriving in a new culture feels much like being two years old.  I forgot how everyone points and calls you “Westerner” in their own language {“mzungu” here} and how they giggle when you attempt to pronounce their names and words.

I forgot the face-flushed feeling of embarrassment and how it beckons you to give up all together.

I also forgot moving to a new home in the two-thirds world takes copious amounts of time to sort out.

And then I remembered. When there was no electricity for nearly a week and when they came to fix it they accidentally cut the water pipe which meant no water, and everything I touched seemed to break right in half, I remembered. I remembered all the feelings, all the emotions, all the hard things.

And it all overwhelmed me, a flood of emotions and circumstances. In the midst of that flood, a huge rainstorm hit our house and in came a literal flood. A gap under one of the doors, and in came a torrent of water down the hallway, into my bedroom, everywhere. I grabbed every towel in the house and tried to mop up the flow, but when I realized I could never keep up, I sat down in the midst of the flood and cried…and cried…and cried.

I could only think of me, my problems, my pain. Poor me. 

And in the midst of the flood, I did what I almost never do, I reached out for encouragement {or shall I say INcouragement?} and prayer. I was immediately flooded with support.  And one thing Lisa-Jo said gave me pause:

“I know you know this, but my dad would always remind me – it’s those moments, those worst bottom of the barrel moments when we can most relate to the people we’ve been sent to serve.”

Um. Oh yeah. How could I forget those I came to serve? I was so engrossed in my own problems, I hardly spent any time remembering others’.

So I chose to remember. I remembered all I have been given. I remembered all I possess in Christ. I remembered the grace of God comes to me in uncomfortable circumstances, and His purpose is to conform me to Himself. I remembered nothing can separate me from His love. {Romans 8:35}

And I remembered something Ann said in this post: “What God’s graciously given you is always enough to be abundant grace for someone else.” 

I remembered those around me. Those who don’t have running water. Those who don’t have electricity. Those whose houses flood when it rains. I remembered God sent me here to be abundant grace for others.

That is why we need community. To remind each other when we forget.

I remembered my way out of the flood. But I may need you to remind me again. 

What in your life has caused you to forget? And how can we help you remember? Share your story in the comments.

{Photos by Mandie Joy and gimpbully.}

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