Hectic

March 9, 2024

Hectic, hectic is a word I’ve heard used countless times since arriving in South Africa. Just like us, it's a word the locals use to describe anything fast paced or chaotic. However, unlike us, it’s also a word they use to describe something like lyrics to a song that pierce their soul. Hectic is a good word to use for travel days and first days in a new country. 24 hours of running through airports, 18+ hours in the air with two small kids, trying to catch sleep when you can, struggling to keep track of all the bags you’ve packed your life into, processing all you’ve just said goodbye to at the same time wondering what is ahead. 

Most people don’t know what it feels like to land in a place you’ve never been, be forced to trust people you have never met, walk into a place you’ve never seen, but be told it’s your new home. You find yourself trying to organize a million thoughts to decide what is the best next step. Is it a phone? Is it internet? Is it a car? Is it local connections? Is it the emergency room? It seems like there are countless answers to what seems to be an endless question… “What do I do next?” 

It feels hectic! But not in the way we use the word… It feels like God is using this to speak in a way that pierces my soul. We are missionaries! 24 hours of sleepless chaos to put our feet where God has called them to be. Belongings packed away that, even if they’re lost, can be replaced. Missing family, but knowing because we were faithful, we will spend eternity together. We know the same God who wrote our story to get us here is the one who wrote the next chapters of our life. It feels amazing to be at a place where we get to know that no matter how many unanswerable questions I come up with, God is still the answer! You can’t get lost chasing Jesus! 

• The Hippie Missionary