Home
/hom/
noun
The place where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a family or household.
If you asked me a just a few months ago where I call home, I’d be very quick to answer you with something along the lines of “Fairfax, Virginia”, “Washington DC area”, or “Chantilly, Virginia”. I have lived out of the country for a few months now and If you haven’t heard it before, let me be the first to tell you, its not easy. It’s tough stuff! Not everything about this race is crazy spiritual breakthrough, furthering the kingdom in extreme visible ways, good food and the company of wonderful friends. It’s fairly easy to find myself in a place where I’m selfishly really missing the comfort of my own bed, family, friends, a home cooked meal or really anything that I associate with the single family, three story home sitting on a one acre pond in Chantilly Virginia. When I left for the race, the idea that Chantilly, Virginia was my home and my only home was so deeply engrained in my head. I was pretty sure that I would never call any of the countries on our route home. Little did I know that this mindset would soon change.
Since being on the World Race Gap Year, the Lord has taught me a lot about his calling in my life and that as Christians we aren’t called to be comfortable and live in the mental and physical confines that we so quickly create for ourselves in our fast pace, success oriented culture. I have redefined the word “home” for myself. I am now able to see my home as a constantly changing and consistently pushing me into the realization that I need to have open hands for whatever the Lord is showing me in life.
Now that I’ve been on the field for five months and am living in my third country (India) God has revealed to me more and more that home is nothing concrete and has everything to do with taking seriously the truth that GOD IS MY HOME He is my refuge. He has called me to be a foreigner on this earth and hold my citizenship with him in heaven. As I have been learning this he has given me so much grace through the process of abandoning the earth as my true home. Through each country he brings me peace and reminders of the community and home he has blessed me with on earth, through things like hosts, an occasional cup of joe that causally kinda tastes like home, and the loving community that I’ve been surrounded with. He knows I seek to abandon the world’s culture and through this difficult process he is so patient with me.
With all of this being said, through this period of abandonment I’ve relied heavily on the prayers of my family, friends, squad mates and supporters and have experienced first hand answered prayers and growth from others fighting for me. So I would LOVE to be a vessel God uses to fight for you in whatever God is taking you through right now, I believe the support of prayer is something that cannot be overlooked, no matter what season you are in. text Facebook message ETC. me so I can fight for you too! please allow me the honor to be Epaphras for you as he was in Colossians.
“Epaphras, who is one of you and a sercan’t of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in the will of God, mature and fully assured.” Colossians 4:12 NIV
