Waterfalls: Navigating Life Changes God's Way

By Rebekah DeVall

GOD GAVE YOU WINGS.

Life changes can be terrifying. Like standing under a waterfall, they're overpowering, anxiety-filled, and dreadful.

The anticipation is often the worst.

For example, imagine Esther, moments before opening the door and stepping into the king's chamber – breaking the law – to save her people.

Picture Daniel, begging for a chance to interpret Nebuchadnezzar's dream – at the risk of his own life.

Imagine Jesus, pleading, ""O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done."

As a missionary kid re-entering the U.S., Rebekah DeVall is very familiar with the changes of life.

DON'T BE AFRAID TO JUMP OFF THE CLIFF – GOD GAVE YOU WINGS.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rebekah DeVall
• Release date: Jun 26, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393924708

Book preview

Dedication

To my bestie Annie, who saw me at my worst and decided to keep me anyway! <3

My Story

I grew up a missionary kid in Bolivia, South America. No, we don’t have monkeys for pets. Yes, I speak Spanish fluently. Yes, given the choice, I would absolutely choose that life for myself. I wouldn’t have chosen everything about that life, necessarily... but now that I’ve lived through it and seen the other side, I would absolutely do it all again.

2018 was a very hard year for me. As a general principle, my family and I hate furloughs. There is something unappealing about leaving everything - friends, coworkers, work, all the influences that we have begun to have in others’ lives - to tear up our roots and go back home.

Oh. That’s another thing I should have included back in the first paragraph. No, I’m not coming home.

I left home a couple thousand miles away, down in South America. Not to compare missionary life to slavery, but I absolutely sympathize with the children of Israel who grew up in captivity.

It’s hard to believe in something when all you’ve ever heard is stories. I can imagine Israelites in captivity telling their children about the way the sunrise would shine off the roof of the Temple in the mornings. I can imagine them telling stories about worshipping in the Temple together, stories about how God rescued them from their enemies over and over and over again.

Now imagine these children having the chance to return to Israel. How do you return to a place that’s supposed to be your home, but that you’ve never seen {or barely seen} before in your life? How do you return to worshipping a God that you’ve only heard about in stories?

This is missionary life.

Honestly, missionary life is hard. Life in America is hard. But I believe the hardest part is the transition between the two lives.

Very few people quite understand what it feels like to cross cultures. It’s just like moving away to college! they say.

... college is just a state or two away. You still speak the same language, talk to the same people. It’s only a couple-hour flight to go back home for spring and summer break and other holidays.

Crossing cultures is a bird of another feather. Not only are you leaving behind your family, you’re leaving behind your language, culture, even your identity.

We oftentimes base our identity on our surroundings. I based my identity on the fact that I was a missionary kid, a gringa in Bolivia. The transition back to the