I have been puzzling on this the past couple of weeks and I want to share it with you.

How is it that when you have lived most of your life in Minnesota, half of the time in the Pine River area, and half in Brooklyn Park area, besides the cultural differences in just moving from country to city, you feel this is home.  That is how we still feel, that both Pine River and Brooklyn Park are our home.

THEN…. God leads you to move to Nigeria, a people you do not know, a culture you do not know,  so many things you do not know.  We have never had a heart particularly for the Nigerian people, as many missionaries do before they are called to go, they love and relate to their called people group. I have always felt drawn to ANYONE who is hurting and hated the injustices in this World, we knew just the normal things that most Americans know about HIV/AIDS – basic information to us.  A seemingly random match, leaving God out of the picture.

How does God build additional family in your heart?  In about a year, God has implanted the people we work with, the people we serve, and the work here in Nigeria in our hearts so much that when we were back in the  States for Dan’s fathers home-going celebration, although grieving and busy helping Dan’s mom with things and getting some things done, we also missed our Nigerian co-workers and work (although Dan did much work over the phone and internet).

How can it be when you are away from one family you miss the other, and then when you are away from the other family you miss the first?  I finally realized this week while I was teaching a Bible Study on Fruits of the Spirit, that it is the Holy Spirit that has made this change in our hearts.  It is not humanly possible.

Kind of like before I had our second child, I wondered how I could ever love someone as much as I loved our first child.  Then I had that child and I loved him the moment I saw his little, tiny face.  Although the two children are different, you love them the same amount.

It helps me realize that we think this “home” is here on Earth.  God is just preparing us for our next home.  “I’m just a passing through”, words to a song we have sung so many times now makes more sense to me now.  God is preparing us for our next home.

Thought for Today:  Are there opportunities in your life to “build your family”, areas to serve, people to reach out to that you are missing because you are stuck in a mindset that, “my life is full, it’s just how I want it”.  To quote Rick Warren, “It’s not all about you”.  Even though YOU are the one that benefits.