Reminds me of the Uttley family this summer. David has been in Haiti again, Dominican Republic, Vancouver, BC and home. Nate has been in Hawaii, Thailand and Cambodia. Josh has been away at school and work. I have been home and in New York helping my mother-in-law move to Florida.
I am preparing for a mission trip to Uganda in October and one to Haiti in January, with another possible trip or two to Haiti, and possibly one to Ethiopia thrown in there as well. And I haven't mentioned David's schedule of Uganda, Rwanda, Haiti, Haiti, and possibly, Haiti. Oh, and did I mention Bali and Nepal? Well, you get the idea.
When bringing my mom up to date about David's and my itineraries, she cracked a joke about how she could not keep up with all the coming and going. Me neither.
What a season of transition it has been. A son launched into a life of full-time missions. A long-lost best friend re-entering my life. Local friends downsizing, moving out of the area, short-selling their houses (not so long ago I had never heard of a "short sale"), planning international relocations. A husband who is out of the country more than he is here. It has been challenging to keep my focus on what truly is my "home".
I am so thankful for solid friends who allow me into their worlds, even as those worlds are shifting. I am thankful for a mother who has been a living example to me of the importance of putting my relationship with my husband above all others, even my own mother. I am thankful for sons who enjoy hanging out with their mom. I adore a life partner who has a heart for others and an eye for capturing their spirit in pictures.
So, what is "home"? For me, it is savoring the moments with loved ones and clearly recognizing that my true home is in the Lord Jesus Christ. The total acceptance and redeeming love He shows me over and over is the best sense of home I have ever, can ever, will ever experience. And sharing this sense of home with loved ones is the best!
Getting back to Haiti, which is what prompted me to start this blog in the first place, you may have noticed the shift in earthquake relief work to the need for transitional housing. This need for a solid roof and walls to call home is very real. At the same time, when asked what they lost in the earthquake, they almost always mention the family members they lost before they mention the loss of their house.
I'm definitely rambling here. I guess I am trying to say that although I have a roof over my own head, the shifting of everyone around me makes me think about what is really important here. It expands my heart and challenges my thinking.
