Thoughts

I spent the summer in Washington State. I lived with my family, worked my old job at the concrete plant and served as a leader in my old youth group (which was basically now an entirely new youth group). When I first found out that I would be in Washington for the summer I was not thrilled. In fact I didn't like the idea. After spending some time in prayer the Lord put a peace in me and I was confident that it was right that I stayed. But I still didn't like the idea. It was several months before I realized that I had gotten accustomed to being back in the U.S. and really felt at home. And once again I found it hard to leave all the people I care about there.

I've been listening to a very knowledgeable man named Arthur Burke who has researched the giftings of individuals, which he calls the " 7 Redemptive Gifts." He says that each individual has all the gifts in their spirit but one main gift. According to his research people with the gift of Mercy take larger amounts of time to emotionally disconnect from a place and reconnect in a new place, as when undertaking a cross-country move for example. But people with the gift of Prophet will have disengaged with their home and reconnected emotionally in the new location many weeks before the big move. Though I don't believe I am the Redemptive gift of Mercy, I know that I have many tendencies of the Mercy gifting. And though I take longer to adjust to some situations, I never quite feel like my heart is fully there.

Regardless, my mind has been imprinted with the truth that no matter where this life takes me, I will never feel quite at home on this earth. It's like Jon Foreman says, "I don't belong here."

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."

-Colossians 3:1-4