Home
It was a beautiful start to the day… I got up at 6:30 a.m. (which is sleeping in for me) and took a great 5.5 mile walk. Many on our church staff are here in Kansas City for a ministry conference. I took advantage of the beautiful surroundings and walked around the Plaza area and along the waterway. I took pictures as I went and uploaded a few to my twitter feed.
About a mile into the walk, I saw something that got my attention. Under the light of the rising sun, I saw three people asleep under the pillars of a bridge (pic above). I snapped a picture, then immediately began praying for them. I thought about those 3 individuals and wondered how they ended up there. I’m probably safe to say that 20 years ago, they never dreamed they’d be sleeping under that bridge in Kansas City on April 30, 2008. Where had they come from and what circumstances or choices had gotten them to this place?
God is chipping away at my heart on practically a daily basis lately. I’m becoming more compassionate. More willing to offer grace - often a difficult task for someone with my type of wiring. I prayed for those people under the bridge - that God would invade their lives on all sides. Then I wondered how I could help. They were across the water and I couldn’t readily access them. Giving money may help or hurt depending on what they bought with it.
As I prayed for those people, I was reminded of our current situation. We’re about to close on a house. We stepped out in faith to move to Fort Smith and work for a church. A huge change for our lives, our income and much more. So far my job has been rewarding but very challenging. This first 8 months have brought simplicity and much frustration. What is God trying to teach me? We’re settling down and have decided to plant some roots. I don’t think we’ve done that in our nearly 10 years of marriage and I definitely never did it before I married Jill.
We’re diving in and getting a house. While nothing is totally permanent, buying our 4th home and expecting to stay in it for more than 2 years is a HUGE deal. We waited patiently, living in an apartment all this time, paying extra for 2 storage units. We wanted something close to the church and the boys’ school (walking distance close). It’s on a cul de sac and in just the perfect location. It has lots of what we wanted, but needs lots of work like paint in every room and updating the living room quite a bit. The backyard is incredible. It’s like a garden retreat complete with covered porch and koi pond. It’s beautiful and scary to make this step. But we want a home. Not just a structure on a slab of concrete that we park our cars in front of, but a place to live. A place for life to take place. Home.
We all long for home… the ultimate one being heaven. It seems that our culture is losing the value and meaning of “home”. Everything is too fast and disjointed. The boys are in t-ball and they have home plate. People that go to church, typically have a “home” church. Home is something I’ve been looking forward to cultivating. We’re very excited about this great opportunity and blessing to put down roots and let them grow deep. We’re ready for home. What does home mean to you?
I’m participating in Watercooler Wednesdays
My walkscore number was 32 out of 100.
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