“My friends on the mainland think just because I live in Hawaii I live in paradise. Like a permanent vacation. We’re all just out here sipping Mai Tai’s shaking our hips, catching waves. Are they insane? Do they think we’re immune to life? How can they think our families are less screwed up? Our cancer less fatal? Our heartache less painful?” George Clooney as Matt King in The Descendants
David and I laughed out loud when we heard these lines in the movie. Because it’s da truth, people. We were stationed on Maui for three years, and I know some people think we lived at the Hilton, dined exclusively at awesome restaurants, and frolicked in the sand and surf dawn ’til dusk. Because that’s what most people who vacation in Hawaii do. They leave real life at home. But when you live in Hawaii, real life shows up as a spoilsport to the party just the same as anywhere else. You can’t escape real life. You also can’t escape undesirable islandy facts like the smell of sugar cane burning {major blechy} or catching pneumonia from vog {mine lasted three months, thankyouverymuch}. I’m not complaining. Really. Ask any one of my family or friends: I loved Hawaii, and I would visit again faster than you can say Maui no ka oi. I’m a warm weather lover, and Hawaii handed me that in a mighty picturesque package.
But Albuquerque, New Mexico also handed me warm weather, although not many would call it paradise. Sure, it has dramatic sunsets over the desert and lots of good playing outside days. But as far as landscape goes, Albuquerque trades green for brown. Not so picturesque, but no less the potential for paradise.
I knew miserable people in Hawaii just as I did in Albuquerque. What makes a place paradise is not what’s present outside, but Who is present inside. No matter where you call home, messy life knocks on your door sooner or later. Some of our hardest times found us in Hawaii, and it took a heck of a lot more than positive thinking or a happy walk on the beach to move past them. It took clinging to Jesus and walking imperfectly by faith with the One who offers longlasting, genuine rest. That relationship along with others built on Christ will be the only thing that flies with us to the real Paradise. In the meantime, we have His promise to meet us here right where we are, wherever we are.
After a rough three years on a different island, I learned each duty station is what you make of it. Do you take advantage of the tourist stuff? Do you get out and enjoy the food? Make friends? Build a sense of community? I know in my heart I can be happy anywhere as long as I let myself.
Thank you for another wonderful read!
Yes, Kate. Yes, yes, yes to everything you said. Thanks for being here!
Great post and I loved what you said when you said, “What makes a place paradise is not what’s present outside, but Who is present inside.” You totally hit the nail on the head with that one.
Thank you, Janelle.
Great post! I’m learning that it’s also true of our circumstances. I remember a flight attendant looking so puzzled as he saw ALL that we had to do to get our special needs son settled on the plane…and that we were still smiling (this is not always the case…we do frown!…but in that case I was able to truly be present and be happy to be sitting next to my smiling boy!) He truly can (and does when we let Him) give us “greater joy than when their wine and new grain abound!”
What a GREAT post, Kristen! We have lived in the outskirts of civilization for five years! (Okay, Tristan de Cunha may be a bit more remote.) We’re just outside of St. Louis, but VERY country. I have whined to God about it for the two years we have been trying to sell our house, to move closer to our kids and not have to get a motel room just to go grocery shopping! Where we live is beautiful. It’s peaceful and offers breathtaking sunrises and sunsets. I can run and converse with God every day without worrying about traffic, or dogs, or choking on toxic waste. Regardless, we wanted out! When God had enough of my incessant complaining, He asked a simple question that REALLY took my breath away, “Am I not enough for you, Linda”?! Ouch…