Being a Chameleon on a "Smartie Box"

As a child I was always fascinated and intrigued by the story, if you put a chameleon on a Smartie box it will become confuse and burst open. It does sounds funny, interesting and as I visualize this it makes me smile. But my grace and love for animals have kept me from doing this, but it was tempting as a child.

As interesting and funny as this sounds, so painful and confusing it has felt in my life at times. Living in a different country and culture from what I have grown up in, adjusting to speak and understand a new language, trying to understand why people do the things they do and what are spoken and unspoken expectations of me living in a neighborhood in a different country. This has all added to me often feeling like a Chameleon on a Smartie box. What makes this Chameleon hanging on the edge of the branch with her tail touching the Smartie box, loosing grip ready to fall is: "Who am I in the midst of all of this?"

As I understand the chameleon changes its color as it slowly moves from one object to another. In my life's experience I know it is terribly tiring to be changing who you are all the time because you are insecure in different situations, and what you should do to meet different needs, especially working and living cross culturally.

Coming to live overseas in a different culture and country from what I'm use to has brought much stress to my life. I do not do well with constant change and my life has been in constant change for the last fifteen years. Thanks to God's grace I have been able to stay the Chameleon on the Smartie box. It has been very confusing at times but I have not "burst" open yet!

You see the Chameleon has to pick a color and then stick to that until it moves on and then change color as it moves on. God has been my guide and helper in this. Leading me through impossible situations. Seeing God work miracles in situations has brought such peace and security to my heart. Impossible prayers answered made me trust in Him coming through for me in situations that I could not see being worked out for my good.

Through humanly impossible events I have learned that I can handle more than what I have thought I could handle, because I know He is there and with faith in Him I could face every day moment by moment. Stepping out into friendships that I did not have hope for that it would ever work out. God then would unfold our lives one to another to understand and appreciate.

Through God's grace and love I have discovered who I am in Him. Taking the promises in the Word and writing it on my heart believing it as the truth. Taking it up as my Sword and Shield protecting my heart from the lies that Satan is shooting, to break down my self worth and knowledge of Him. Discovering my giftings, and that I am uniquely put together by God. Looking into the mirror of my being meeting eye to eye knowing God has a purpose for me being where I am. That I am called and uniquely put together like no one else. God has gifted us all different and finding myself there at His feet seeing myself through His eyes knowing myself.

God in His grace allows us to be put into impossible situations like the "chameleon on a smartie box". I think the secret is the Chameleon knowing that he is a chameleon and restfully and peacefully moving forward. So we can step into life's impossible-aties knowing that He is God leading us forward.