TRANQUILA!!!

I am not the most patient person in the world. You could say I am rather far from it. I also tend to be pretty detail-oriented (which isn't really a bad thing, but our greatest blessings can sometimes be our greatest curses). I can also tend to be neurotic and perfectionistic. I like to be in control and know exactly what is going on. Are you laughing yet? If you are familiar with Grove City College at all or happen to be a member of the Gates family (my mom's side), you probably have an idea of what I am talking about. Maybe not, and that's totally ok.
Anyway, being like this causes me to stress out sometimes. But actually, it's not NEAR as bad as it used to be. You see, I went to Costa Rica. And there I learned that I do NOT have control over anything. Things will go wrong, or at least not according to the original plan. The bus broke down (multiple times). We didn't always make it to every place that was on the trip itinerary. It can be disappointing but it's far from the end of the world. I learned to go with the flow. Yes, I am basically fluent in Spanish, but I still can't understand everything. Have you any idea how fast news reporters talk? (I know that sounds pretty ridiculous coming from me. I hardly ever realize how fast I talk in English, but I've been told it's pretty darn fast sometimes.)
Living outside the country gave me a whole new perspective on everything. It's pretty hard to describe. But, it just helped me realize that there is so much more to this world than the US and what happens here. Yes, we are one of the most powerful countries in the world and we have mightily influenced everyone else. But, there is a lot to be learned from others. One of my favorite things in Costa Rica was the slower paced life. Hardly anyone is ever is a hurry. They walk so slowly I would be almost a block ahead of the people I was supposedly walking with. It's not the end of the world to be late to something (just as long as you're not too late). I found that most people would not turn a molehill into a mountain, as we often do here. And yes, these are generalizations. Not every since person in Costa Rica is this way. But, this is the way the culture tends to be.
That culture is clearly very different from that of the US. And I learned a lot from it. If I ever started to freak out about something someone would just tell me, "tranquila." And I'd pause and try to stop stressing. I haven't come up with the perfect translation for tranquila yet. It basically means, "be at peace, calm down, take a deep breath, it's ok, chill out, don't worry." So, I have been learning to apply this to my life. I'm definitely still not totally tranquila all the time, but I'm getting better. So, if something isn't working out, I still will try to make it work, but if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. Maybe there will be another chance. Maybe God has something different and better in mind. I don't know. But I am learning to rest and trust in Him. I don't have any control. But God has it all, and He has a perfect plan for me. So, with that knowledge I can be completely tranquila.