Southern Comfort Zone

 

I’m sitting in coffee shop in Kathmandu, Nepal. The fact that I just wrote that blows my mind. I am 2 months into 11 months of being on the other side of the world.

 

 How did I get here?

 

This is the adventure I always dreamed of.

 

I’ve been so blessed and done so much that I never imagined I would. 

 

I’ve flown across the world, lived in India and Nepal, and preached the gospel to the persecuted church. I’ve seen the sunrise over the Himalayas in the shadow of Mt. Everest, gone into slums and held children in my arms. I have ridden bumpy dirt roads to reach far away villages, hiked through the jungle where tigers and bears roam and climbed to golden temples erected hundreds of years ago. I’ve laughed, cried and been welcomed into different cultures, traditions and homes. And thats only the beginning. 

 

But I miss home.  

 

I stand in awe of this crazy life. One that has led me to places opposite to my life at home. Being away is shocking. I have never been anywhere that people couldn’t understand me…until now. Never have I been the minority…until now. I’m out of my depth and living like a drifter, but honestly I love it. 

 

I love that I have a hand in the developing church world wide. I adore seeing the smiles on children’s faces when we sing silly songs in the slums. I cherish the moments spent sitting in a temple with young monks praying prayers over each one. I’ll always remember the women who I’ve poured into and never forget the women who have poured into me. I love each of my 48 person squad and the fact that I am not alone in this journey. I’m thankful that the world is not cold like I imagined it would be. I know that I have grown in so many ways. The growth sometimes is painful but man am I growing. I am challenged and feel so much purpose in each day I am here. 

 

But I miss home. 

 

I miss the smell of fall and the Georgia National fair. I miss drinking coffee with my Dad on the porch while chatting about life. I miss seeing my uncles cotton fields and watching football with my boyfriend. I miss pumpkins and back-to-school classrooms. I miss normal, family and Chick-fil-a! 

 

I miss my southern comfort zone. 

 

I owe everything to it but I can see how much I’ve gained by being outside of it. I see the world is so much larger that what I’ve always known. Every place has its own flair and is home to many others. Though, the more I roam and the more I see, the more I am grateful for my home. 

I am so thankful to see the world and to be the voice that tells lost people about Jesus.

 

 But I am also grateful that this road leads back home. 

 

Thanks Brad Paisley’s “Southern comfort zone” for the inspiration. This song came out while I was in high school and it always has made me tear up. Somehow I knew back then that one day I would be on the other side of the world, feeling this exact way…