Homecoming

After a week and a half of traversing this continent, we are home. It was a wonderful trip, but a difficult homecoming. As we pulled out of my parent's driveway this morning it finally hit me that from this point forward things will be very different. In 3 weeks they are moving to Colorado - 1,000 miles from where we are. My bi-monthly visits will turn into bi-annual visits, and when we do return to the Chicago suburbs there will be a strange vacancy knowing that my parents are not there.

I didn't expect it to be so hard. I'm a grown woman with a family of my own, after all. But to me there is great comfort in the closeness of my family. I wish we were all closer. Unfortunately, that wasn't the only thing making my heart heavy today. Not only was I driving away from the security and safety of my parents, but I was driving towards a life and ministry that is sometimes difficult.

My last few posts have touched the surface of these struggles - the criticism and discouragement we sometimes receive, from people both inside and outside of the family of God. As I said before, I am grateful for the difficulties because I have already seen them grow and mature my faith. . . but honestly, sometimes I wish it could just be easy! I wish that we could all be in a place where everyone was running with all their might in the same direction; fighting for the same goal; dreaming the same wild, passionate dreams.

We are so blessed to be here, in this place, in this church. I am so grateful for the friends I've made, and for the students we have the opportunity to minister to. I know that God has us here for a reason, even in those moments when I feel like a square peg trying to shove myself into a round hole.

And ultimately, God has a plan. He doesn't want us to stop running, fighting, or dreaming! Even when everyone around us thinks we're crazy - HE is running, fighting, and dreaming alongside of us!! His passion and desire is to see the people in this community come to know Him - and when we devote our existence to achieving that end, well. . . He is proud.

So, today's homecoming was hard. . . because when I focus on people I can lose sight of Jesus. And when I consume myself with the struggles I sometimes face, I forget the blessings and the promises of my God. He is the one who will change hearts, stir up passion, and begin a revival - both in the family of God and the community in which we live.

And whether my parents are 100 miles or 1,000 miles away, God promises to be the deepest and greatest source of comfort, security, and love I will ever need. So the truth is, home is where Jesus is - and Jesus is always with me. So I find comfort in knowing that here, in the middle of no where, distant from my family, and in the good times and the bad,

I am home.