Life and Adventures of the Hirst Family: Wanaka!

Hello to our wonderful family and friends! It’s been far too long since we’ve updated our blog and quite a lot has happened since we’ve moved to Wanaka six months ago. We just arrived back in the States this last week, so I am now trying to update and recap the past 6 months. We will begin with our time in Wanaka... one of the main reasons I haven’t written was because while in Wanaka, we experienced a challenging season. I often struggle admitting when I am going through a hard time; I tend to isolate myself from others and just pretend everything is ok. However, one must find a balance between optimism and honesty; when we are honest with ourselves and others we are able to learn from our mistakes, but also enable others who may have experienced something of similar nature to speak into our lives and be of encouragement. The most important thing to do is connect and fellowship with others.

Fellowship with others

Here we are in New Zealand, living amidst some of the most beautiful creation in the world, traveling and experiencing new opportunities and cultures together. We are blessed beyond measure to have this opportunity, yet there was a time within the past five months that I didn’t want to be here. I questioned God a lot and often became very frustrated with Him and then myself for not completely trusting and obeying his truth and sovereignty. Our work environment became quite stressful and unpleasant and what seemed like an “ideal” living situation became a place we didn’t want to be or come home to. I became very sick and more stressed than I can ever remember. I felt that Jacob and I, as a couple, were being spiritually attacked. Personally, every time I felt like I took one step forward, I took two steps back. It was not a pleasant place to be, and naturally the pride and flesh in me tends to disconnect from others. When looking back, the best thing anyone can do, is reach out and connect with family, friends, mentors, and people who can give wisdom, encouragement, and help you see beyond your current situation. It’s often easy for our vision to become blurred and narrow; we become consumed with our current circumstance, we lose sight of the greater picture and purpose of life. We were very blessed in Wanaka because we did have a solid church community and good friends who were faithful in their support and prayer. The families and people we did develop relationships with and our time spent with them were the highlight of our time in Wanaka.

Perspective

It wasn’t until I was literally able to see Wanaka and the life we were living from a different perspective, that I was woken up and reminded that there is so much more than what we were experiencing at the current time. A friend through work took us flying around Wanaka and the Southern Alps. It was a beautiful day and as we got further away from the ground, the place we had been living became a small dot, in comparison to the breathtaking mountains and beauty all around us. As I was literally able to see our life from a different perspective, I was reminded that we are apart of a greater plan and purpose. We all need to be reminded of this.

Shortly after flying we were reminded by a guest pastor at church of the message “God is good all the time, all the time God is good.” There is so much to celebrate ALL THE TIME! Even when my job isn’t exciting and I am feeling a lack of fulfillment, God is good and has a plan and purpose for the season. Even when I feel inadequate and like I can’t do anything right, God is good and He loves me just the same, whispering, you are perfect just the way you are. Even when I seem to make the same mistake over again and can’t forgive myself, God is good and I am renewed with His mercy and grace every morning. God is good all the time! Hebrews 18: 8 declares, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” We have so much to be thankful for! He is our rock and solid foundation. Our focus needs to be on the goodness of the Lord. Think about how much joyful we would be if we realigned our thoughts?

Currently, looking back from a much better place, there were an abundance of blessings all around us, and God’s hand was in it all. It’s always good to look back because you realize how much has happened and see God’s faithfulness in it all. It’s been an interesting season in our lives; we experienced opportunities, challenges, and joys we never expected, but God has perfect timing. We met people in Wanaka who I believe will be life-long friends. I was able to connect and develop a relationship with one of two African families living in Wanaka, and we were able to share a common love of the Ugandan culture. We experienced holidays the “kiwi” way, while also sharing our own traditions with friends we had met from all over the world. We gained job experiences and skills we can use in the future. We were welcomed into a wonderful church family at Wanaka New Life, where we were able to fellowship with people who reminded us of His truth and love, when we needed it most. We were both challenged and fed spiritually in experiencing and understanding different gifts of the spirit. We were blessed. I’m sure we will one day look back and realize why things happened the way they did with a little more clarity and understanding, but for the time being we will trust that our season in Wanaka was all apart of God’s purpose and plan for us. Romans 8:28 states, “He works all things to the good of those called according to his purpose.”

Building our House on the Rock

We live in a fallen world. Circumstances, jobs, people, and “things” can be unreliable and fickle. Our dream job will not always be fulfilling. The people we love the most will fail us, no matter how wonderful they are. It’s inevitable. We are human. Maybe this is so to help us realize the sovereignty of our perfect God and His love for us. He never fails. His love is always complete. He will always be there for us. Personally, we have been reminded to build our life upon the rock. Invest our life, hope, joy, and trust upon the one who made us and is and always will have control of our life. “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and neat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.”- Matthew 7:24-26.

We have been reminded that we cannot base our life and marriage on our feelings; we would be a wreck if we did. Agape'. Love is a verb, an action, and it has nothing to do with what we feel like doing or our current circumstance. We are thankful for a God who loves us all the time. Can you imagine if God decided to not love us because we turn away from Him over and over again? If he woke up on the wrong side of the bed and was having a bad day? Thankfully, His love is the same every day. We are continuing to be reminded of what it looks like practically to love the way God loves us, and have been brought back to our roots of Agape!

As our time came to an end and we left our home in Wanaka, we realized the many wonderful relationships we did create over the past 6 months. We were blessed in many ways and although we were looking forward to the many things in the future and being reunited with family, we were also leaving a family behind. It is nice knowing we have lots of great people to visit in wonderful Wanaka; I know we will see these friends again!