When I traveled when I was younger, the feeling of unknown was overwhelming. I felt like a real stranger. I had an overwhelming feeling that I did not belong there. I enjoyed the adventure of being in a place outside of the home, but it was so unfamiliar to me. Almost in a scary way.
If I got separated from my family, I would have been quite scared. I remember distinctly once when I was skiing in Colorado with my family and I somehow had gotten separated from the rest of my family. My sisters and my dad had all taken a different path down the mountain.
We were at Breckenridge in Colorado. I ended at the bottom of Peak 7 and I knew I was supposed to be at the bottom of Peak 9. Two things were in play that made this a scarier experience. It was the very end of the day, so the lifts had stopped going up the mountain. Worse yet, it was before the age of everyone having cellphones, so I was stuck with no communication and no way to reconnect besides walking or taking the bus.
I remember the uneasy feeling that I had at the time. One of unfamiliarity. A lostness.
This weekend I traveled from my new home in Austin, TX to Denver to visit friends. It was a different feeling from the feeling I felt as a kid. Even though the actual locations were “unfamiliar” to me, they didn’t feel foreign. Even though it wasn’t home, it didn’t feel like I didn’t belong there.
I know that my long-term home isn’t in this world. God has made this world for us but it is our temporary home until we spend eternity with Him in Heaven. The world is imperfect so nowhere can ever fully feel like home. There are temporary feelings of happiness and joy, but no location, person, or activity will ever bring the full contentment of “home.”
At the same time, because I know that this isn’t my long term home I’m able to live and be in many more places and be content to be there. It’s almost because I know everywhere is not home, anywhere can be my temporary home.
With my mind set on doing overseas missions, I know God will use this to be able to be in a place that may not feel like an accepting and welcoming place, but understanding the temporary and being okay with it knowing the long-term goal.