Fitting In

Coming back to Australia when I was almost 15, for many years I felt like I didn't really fit in (I probably still feel that a little - see my previous post ).  I felt that I didn't quite 'get' all the social nuances of relationships.  I was unsure of how I fitted into this new world. This is a very, very common experience for MK's.

But you know what I've learnt?  That this is not just an experience for MKs.  This is an experience of human beings.  Talking to my friends who have always lived in Australia, there are still things that make them feel like they don't quite fit in.

Perhaps it was not being cool enough at high school. Perhaps it was feeling not as clever as other friends.  Perhaps it seems that everyone else at church is really connected and they don't feel connected.  Perhaps all the other mums at school are involved in a busy social life and they aren't.  Perhaps it is thinking differently about something that everyone else seems to agree on.  Perhaps other people are always saying how busy they are but they just feel lonely and bored.

There's often something that makes us feel insecure about our place in the world.  When I worked out that this is actually a human experience I felt liberated.  I think being a MK is a very intense experience of that common human condition but ultimately it's not especially unique.

I've also come to understand that we're not really meant to feel too comfortable in this world.  This isn't our eternal home.  This isn't the end point.  So it's not really ever going to feel like a good fit.

'We have a building from God ... an eternal house in heaven' 
(2 Corinthians 5:1)

PS When I was 14 I obviously thought this attractive outfit would help me fit in!  This is me in India just before coming back to Australia.