shuffle

Back in the US. Back in the cold.... at least physically!! I arrived back in Wisconsin late Sunday night, spent two days there, flew for a day to NC and am now working on day 2 here. Needless to say my body is a little messed up!! haha. Add to it some great respiratory crud and I'm thoroughly out of whack!

It's amazing to me how quickly I can jump back into the American chaos. (I think i'm probably pretty tired if I let myself slow down enough to realize everything that has gone on this past week)!! But, instead of taking necessary time to rest, I have filled my days with the millions of things on my to-do lists... In life I typically run at 100mph and it's my default setting here. This morning on a rather pitiful run (breathing is a little tricky at the moment) I had some convicting time with the Lord. I was initially supposed to begin work yesterday, or today, but military paperwork and clearance stuff has pushed back my start date. God has given me time. INTENTIONAL time. Time to rest; to spend with him. Today it was almost as though he asked, "did you learn anything this past month??" haha. Gotta love a loving slap in the face!

I need him just as much here in the states as I did while I was abroad. Explicit ministry/missions in some ways is easier... It can be more emotionally taxing, but you are ever aware of your incredible need for the Lord. We may be 'blessed' here in America, but mainly in a monetary sense (and even that can be a curse!). There is truth behind the beatitudes -- blessed are the poor, meek, etc.... We are too easily lulled into stuff, business, etc and become incredibly spiritually complacent. The mission field here is just as difficult, only in a different manner. I am just as guilty of falling into this as anyone else. May this not be the norm of my life though!! God called me back here for a reason, probably actually for many reasons! My mission is here for the time being and I, by the strength of God, am going to press into him with as much intensity as I did in Africa.  Let the new adventure begin!