WHEN YOU CROSS CULTURES - World Evangelical Alliance

156 WHEN YOU CROSS CULTURES
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
HANDLING OUR
EMOTIONS AND ATTITUDES
Stressful situations can happen unexpectedly on the mission field. We can
minimise the intensity of stress by learning to handle our emotions and
attitudes. In fact, stress can even work for us, instead of against us.
To minimise our stress, we can avoid situations that are likely to produce
undesirable responses. We can also remove ourselves from stressful situations.
At other times, avoidance or retreat is not wise.
Frustrations are common on the mission field. The extreme summer heat
can frustrate us. The traffic can be frustrating. The long waits at public or airline
offices can be unbearable. Feelings of annoyance and anger may surface when
we face some situation that frustrates us. Our negative emotions need to be
released safely. People, who need an outlet for their frustrations, may release
their emotions in various ways.
A frustrated missionary wife once stormed out of her home. She jumped
into a passing trishaw and asked the driver to take her on a ride around the
block. The surprised driver obediently followed her instructions and received
his payment. She returned to the house feeling much better!
Hidden feelings of hostility which have not been dealt with can cause
greater stress. These feelings will spill out on others sooner or later. Hurts can
be handled effectively if we acknowledge them.
Fears or phobias are also not unusual on the field. We may fear crowds
or strangers; we may fear animals and creatures or we may fear dirt, germs and
contamination. Fears are not always bad. They can make us more alert, sensitive
and perceptive. They make us more prepared to meet crises. However, they
become abnormal when their intensity and character are out of proportion to
the dangers encountered.
When fears cause deep anxieties, they need to be addressed rationally.
Trying to deny them will not help.
Learning to change our thought patterns can alter seemingly negative
situations to positive ones. We can choose our own attitudes. Scripture
encourages a host of good attitudes. Here are some of them: