A Compass for When Life Gets Crazy

This cross-cultural life can get wild and crazy enough to send you into a tailspin some days. Many of you, like me, strive to balance ministry with caring for your families. Living cross-culturally can bring new challenges like language learning, fewer household conveniences, and visa paperwork. If your kids are small, caring for them can be overwhelming; if they’re teenagers, they need special encouragement to thrive and make the most of their TCK lives. Does this sound familiar to you? Do you ever struggle to keep balance?

In my Middle Eastern spot, ministry is three steps forward, two steps back. Neighbors and friends wonder what you’re doing and ask questions you can’t always answer entirely. In this relationship-oriented culture, we divide our time between encouraging believers, reaching out to mslm friends, and preserving ties with valuable old friends.

I need a compass to give me direction when life gets crazy.

That’s why I wrote a vision statement for my life two years ago.  It helps me to keep on track with priorities when life comes at me too fast.  My vision is simple, and I have seven goals to go along with it. Each day of the week, I pray for one of my goals.

Vision Statement:

I want to live for Jesus, to know Him and to make Him known through my character, actions and words. I want to remain in Him and bear fruit!

My goals:

Know God better and grow to be more like Jesus.

Love and encourage my husband.

Model God’s love to my children and help them develop into the people God is calling them to be.

Encourage and empower other believers to know God, to be like Jesus and to serve Him.

Be an ambassador for Christ, a fisher of men.

Care for myself and invest in my own growth.

Develop creative skills like writing and teaching.

I don’t like New Year’s resolutions, but every January, I love to get out my vision statement and review it. It helps me to evaluate where my time is going. Am I spending enough quality time with my kids? Have I made time to reach out to non-believers recently?

For each of my seven goals, I have a few specific baby step goals, so I review them, and sometimes add one or two to my list.  Last year scripture memory was my only new baby step goal, and this year I want to add a 10 minute Pilates session to my morning routine.

Crafting a vision statement may seem daunting to you.

I wrote mine in baby steps, one 25 minute session at a time.  I used Michael Hyatt’s Life Planbook, which encourages you to consider your passions and strengths. I didn’t pressure myself into producing a perfectly written plan. I figured an imperfectly drafted vision statement was better than NO vision statement, and I could improve it later.

Comments? Do you have a vision statement? Did you set any goals for the New Year?