Third Culture Kids – Challenges of TCK Life

Being a parent is terrifying.

Being an MK or TCK parent takes a strong prayer life, nerves of steel and a whole bunch of support behind you.

The challenges are many. The dangers are real. The experiences are raw. The life is one big, amazing, scary adventure after another.

An MK has to master each one.

They have to face fear. Step out and walk in the unknown. Many times alone.

They conquer. They battle. They realize how weak they are and how strong God is on a daily basis.

Because they have to.

And God is faithful to lead them through the rocky, uneven, uncharted, sometimes dark and deep paths of living as a third culture kid.

They have to think quick. Adjust well. Learn to gain their own footing.

And as a parent, watching them figure it out without me… going in where I can’t go. Learning things I can’t help them learn.

Watching them adventure and struggle and forge… all on their own.

Seeing them hurt and cry and laugh and win and loose and hurt at levels I can’t even imagine.

They are pioneers. They are creative. They are wanderers. They are beautiful.

They find places to land, knowing they won’t stay there very long.

A new place awaits them.

A new journey.

A new challenge.

A new set of unknowns to navigate.

And they jump in with both feet.

Climbing high and taking Jesus with them every step of the way.

I simply pray… and watch.

I have to let them go. Let them climb and run and be the little adventurers that God is making them to be.

Many times my hands are tied and I must rest and trust.

They are discovering new things.

And finding strengths, weaknesses, and abilities that they didn’t know they had.

As parents, we are with them. We can guide them. We teach them. We help them.

But we also have to watch while God leads them on their own journey through the challenges of an MK life.

They are troopers, my girls.

They have been through so much.

As quickly as they will adjust to France, we will soon uproot them once more for life on an entirely new continent.

With new places to journey and new challenges to discover.

They hold loosely to the things around them while standing firmly on their true foundation.

They carry the things they learn while slowly letting go.

I cry with them. Rejoice with them. Trust with them.

Knowing the challenges are many, preparing them the best we can and letting God handle the rest.

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