Cultural Fatigue

Psalm 130

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
    and in his word I put my hope.
 I wait for the Lord
    more than watchmen wait for the morning,
    more than watchmen wait for the morning.

 Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
    for with the Lord is unfailing love
    and with him is full redemption.

A friend who has done long term missions shared this point; "It's not cultural shock that can get you but cultural fatigue". This past week I felt, what I hope is, the brunt of cultural fatigue.

The monotonous daily activities in the heat and the realizations of the differences in my cultural and Haitian cultural struck me with such force I felt like a was going to succumb to it. That I wouldn't be able to be free of it. To be honest, I don't know if it will ever go away. Even if I stayed here for years, the reality of what I know and have experienced will always be so foreign to those I live life with here.

As I sit in the midst of this cultural fatigue and exhaustion, I can look back on life in the states and see a similar kind of feeling and longing. The wear and tear of life can make you feel like its force will overcome you. You feel like you are loosing. 

It doesn't matter where you are or what you are doing. If you are a stay at home mom working hard with never ending days for your family, an adult who is caring and trying to protect your older parents, or even a college graduate stuck in the in between for, what feels like, an eternity, fatigue chases you around.

I felt like I was loosing this week.  And I would have on my own.

But with Christ... He was, is, and will always be victorious.

I cried out day after day and sometimes needing to between each breath and he was with me. He not only took my burden but he walked with me. The weight didn't feel so oppressive any more.

So, bring it on, cultural fatigue.

Bring it on, life fatigue.

His love is an infinite victory.

Everlasting. Never failing.

Victorious.