The concept of "home" is turning into a more dynamic concept than I ever could have thought.
I've been doing a lot of travelling the last 2 weeks I've been in the States. I flew in from Quito and almost immediately set out to visit Hillary and Ian in Illinois (thanks Mom and Dad for letting me borrow your car). We had a really great time taking a day trip to Chicago, shopping at half-price bookstores, and just being together. It was good to be with my twin/family and to also see some wonderful friends from college who came to spend the 4th with us. On my way back to WV I stopped by a friend's house to spend time with her and her family and it was good to be together again. After being home for less than 24 hours, I set off for Southern Ohio (where I grew up) to speak at my church the next morning. I spent the night with a friend from high school and her crazy/wonderful family who had just finished cleaning up after their son's wedding. I loved seeing a lot of friends (who are more like family) from growing up. The next morning I spoke at the church I spent most of my life in and after service, caught up with my church family and went to eat Mexican food with friends. On the way back to WV, I called some friends because I was thinking about them, and incidentally they had been thinking about me too so I went over for dinner and didn't get back to the house until 10 that night.
Needless to say, I've been wonderfully busy since coming home. But where is home? Can it be defined by a building? A house or church, a city or state? Home isn't a location or a zip code. Home is where my family is, no matter what state they currently live in. Home is where my friends are, no matter how far apart or close they are. Home is community: a body of believers worshipping and loving with the same Spirit. I do feel at home when I look up and see the WV foothills and when I drive down curvy windy roads, but mostly I feel at home when I am with the people I love.
Thank you, family and friends for the home you have created for me, no matter where you are. You will always be my home. Thank you, Heavenly Father for always being my one true Home, no matter where I go, no matter where I lay my head, you are my eternal Home.
