Sn. 5|Ep. 3: Believing God is Still Good in Disappointment (with Cristi Alexander)
On this episode, we talk with Cristi Alexander, a TCK to South Africa.
You’ll hear her share about what she’s learning about God and herself in seasons of change and disappointment. Cristi talks vulnerably and beautifully about living in the tension of knowing who God is while her circumstances might try to tell her otherwise. We always love talking with Cristi and we know you’ll love being part of this conversation too!
What questions do you have about this episode? How can we help support you or your TCK? We’d love to hear from you! Connect with us HERE.
HOSTS: Michelle Ellis, John Michael Caldwell, Nicole Caldwell
SONG: Sunscreen by Vic Davi
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CHAPTERS:
0:00 - 1:17 | Introduction
1:17 - 7:43 | Getting to Know Cristi
7:43 - 16:33 | The Tension Between Going and Staying (and God’s Grace in the Middle)
16:33 - 22:58 | Dealing with Pain and Disappointment
22:58 - 25:37 | Believing God is Good When it’s Hard
35:37 - 35:51 | Words of Comfort for Parents
35:51 - 43:22 | A Prayer for Listeners in the Valley
43:22 - 47:33 | MK Debate
47:33 - 56:14 | Closing
SHOW NOTES:
28:46, 40:13 | Psalm 23 - “Yahweh is my best friend and my shepherd. I always have more than enough. He offers a resting place for me in his luxurious love. His tracks take me to an oasis of peace near the quiet brook of bliss. That’s where he restores and revives my life. He opens before me the right path and leads me along in his footsteps of righteousness so that I can bring honor to his name. Even when your path takes me through the valley of deepest darkness, fear will never conquer me, for you already have! Your authority is my strength and my peace. The comfort of your love takes away my fear. I’ll never be lonely, for you are near. You become my delicious feast even when my enemies dare to fight. You anoint me with the fragrance of your Holy Spirit; you give me all I can drink of you until my cup overflows. So why would I fear the future? Only goodness and tender love pursue me all the days of my life. Then afterward, when my life is through, I’ll return to your glorious presence to be forever with you!”
KEY QUOTES:
5:03 | “I've always known that the gift that that I was given as an MK was such a gift from God.”
13:30 | “I’m learning that if I push and I long and I resent or fight the seasons that I’m in, all it does is just cause an ache in the heart.”
19:05 | “This has been my season of, ‘who is God to me now in the seasons of disappointment and pain and loss and grief?;”
20:38 | “My TCK experience was so good and I’m so grateful, but it also cost me a lot.”
22:24 | “It is a gift to be able to stay and to wrestle through.”
31:06 | “Intimacy with the Father is what is going to allow me intimacy with others.”
32:03 | “I think a lot of times where the source of wounding is, God is so good and He’s so redemptive that He wants to heal in that way too.”
32:44 | “The tension is allowing myself to be honest with the Lord, allowing myself to be vulnerable with others and allowing the mess to be visible.”
41:29 | “I know now more than ever before that the valley of darkness is real, but that God’s goodness and presence and power is more real.”
42:05 | “Lean in, He’s got you.”
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COMMON TERMS:
TCK - third culture kid
MK - missionary kid
LAC - Latin America Caribbean