You’re so lucky to be living in Perth!
How many of you have had at least one person say that (somewhat with a touch of longing, if not just that slight bit of envy) to your face?
I, personally, have heard that sentence many, many times in the 19 years that I’ve been here. But I have to admit that I don’t always feel so lucky.
Yes, we are fortunate to be able to call this beautiful city our home – or for many of you, your second home. The fresh air, the sceneries, the beautiful weather, and – probably the most defining of all – the freedom to do anything you want, it all adds up to that “package” that so many people desire, especially by those who used to study in Perth and have now gone back to Indonesia for good.
But just because we get to live here – away from the pollution and the complicated politics that are identified with living in Indonesia, it’s not always sunshine and roses.
Many people often overlook the fact that living in Perth forces you to be independent. They forget that you don’t have the luxury of hired help, so you have to teach yourself to be capable of pretty much everything. Ordinary day-to-day skills that you may not even come across if you weren’t living on your own in Australia. In my case, these “skills” include:
- how to jumpstart my own car (I thought my car was going to blow up the first time I had to do this. Actually, I also thought it was going to blow up the first time I had to fill up petrol on my own, but let’s ignore that fact, shall we),
- how to change light bulbs, and
- how to clean your rain gutters to prevent future leakages.
Or it could even be something as simple as learning how to cook your own meals everyday without burning the house down.
Anyway, my point is that I’m sure each and everyone of us here in TOM has had to learn something that you’ve never even thought you’d be capable of doing prior to living here. And it’s not always so easy, is it?
Having said that, I am fully aware that everyone has their own crosses to bear. That just because people living in Indonesia have the luxury of hired help and cheaper living expenses, and just because they don’t have to spend so much energy and time on learning all these random “survival” skills like we do over here, it doesn’t mean that they don’t have their own share of problems too. The grass is NOT always greener on the other side of the fence.
Instead of focusing on where we live, or what we don’t have, we should focus on the fact that we have our God on our side. The one and only survival tool that we need to be able to live anywhere, and be happy, is simply this:
RELY ON GOD.
If you’re a student living away from your family and you’re feeling homesick, or lonely, or if you’re a full-time worker and you’re struggling to make ends meet, or if you’re a mother like me and you’re always tired and running out of time, remember that we are still blessed, despite all the crosses that we have to bear by living in Perth. Why? Because we have God, a loving Father who not only looks out for our wellbeing, but who is also there for us, all the time, no matter where we live.
“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you” – 1 Peter 5:7
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, through prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4: 6-7
So yes, we are indeed lucky to be living in Perth, but the one true fact that we (me included) need to remember is that we are lucky to be living anywhere, as long as we have God on our side.
We are lucky because we are children of God, not because of our address. (CMN)
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