Trying not to give way to jealousy

It is weird dropping into a life in another place for only a year. I have to admit to struggling with jealousy (is that the right word?) on behalf of my kids. Perhaps it is more like regret?

Here we are, as a family, earlier this year supporting
our eldest son and his team at a wrestling tournament.
Something I doubt we would have ever done if we'd
brought our kids up in Australia.

I see them not getting awards at school that I know they'd be able to get . . . if only they'd been around to sign up for the event in question.

I see that they've missed out on time with extended family, time that other members of the family have received, just because they live in the neighbourhood.

And other things . . .

Actually it makes me unexpectedly emotional, even as I sit and type this.

But then I need to remind myself that they're gaining many other things that they wouldn't have if they hadn't lived the life they live:

• international perspectives
• multi-lingual experiences (even if they aren't bilingual . . . yet)
• experiences they (probably) wouldn't have found in Australia, like wrestling
• travel
• an extended family that isn't blood-related
• resiliency that isn't gained by a one-address-in-a-childhood experience
• an ability to travel cross-culturally in relationships
• flexibility

And so on. You might be able to add some things to this list. It's easy to see the problems with our lifestyle, to feel the grass is greener in someone else's paddock. It's even easier to feel that way as a parent who grew up in a very stable environment (two schools in 12 years), though I didn't have a close relationship with extended family.

So I need to keep reminding myself of the above. Plus, that I know that God has called us to this, not just David and I, but He's given us these boys and not by accident. He loves them more than we do.