*Not* Just Surviving

I met with a professor from Azusa Pacific University yesterday who was doing some research on the experiences of college students studying abroad in a new culture. Our meeting was only supposed to be half hour, but turned into an hour long talk about different aspects in life. We talked about exercise, weather, food, depression, rules at our schools, etc. Something that we were able to share with each other was that we aren't necessarily thriving here in Lithuania, but that we are doing more than just surviving.

It would be extremely easy to write off my time here in Lithuania as a bad experience and complain about it for years to come. "No one smiles over there!" "My roommates were always too busy to spend time with me." "The weather was always yucky." Etcetera y etcetera. This isn't the first time that I've had a rough situation in a new setting. I can honestly say that the last two or three times that I have moved to the States have been quite rough. It would be unfair of me to blame the environment for all of the difficulties that I have experienced. Likewise, it would be an over-bearing weight to carry if I were to lay all of the blame on myself.

The most important lesson that I have learned over the years is that the worst thing that can come from hard times is having survived and have not learned anything. I might be bold enough to state that, "A difficulty not learned from is an experience gone to waste." Pain promotes growth, so we shouldn't deny or run from it.

Prayers are welcomed. :)