For some reason, Saturdays seem to make me homesick. I realized today at the baseball field and soccer field that I knew NO ONE...I missed all those sweet faces I would see at the FNC Ballpark...and I felt those homesick waves rising up in me. I called a couple of friends.. no one was home. Everyone was out and about living life like normal, and I was jealous.
There is a strong urge within sometimes to wish to go back...back to normal. Sometimes that means "normal like I was in Tuscaloosa." I miss that life...those people...that's where we started our family, it's where we "grew up," it's where we are "from." Then other times the desire to be normal means "Oxford-normal." Oxford High School...North Oxford Baptist Church...Baptist Healthplex EVERY morning with my running buddies. That's where we realized the Lord's calling on our lives, and we have some of the most incredible people there praying for us daily. Life now is so "not normal." Nothing is like it used to be, and while I know that we are following the will of God for our lives...it doesn't instantly make those feelings go away.
Following God is hard...some times it hurts...some times it doesn't make sense...but I have never, ever...not once...heard anyone say they regretted following the Lord's leading. I have to cling to that in my darker moments, and I have to pull out my Shield of Faith with all of God's beautiful promises and fight like a mighty warrior daughter of The King!

As I grabbed my Bible, I was reminded of several wonderful truths:
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

As I write this, my grandaddy is fighting a serious infection that has made him very aware of the fact that we do "waste away" a little more every day. Regardless of our age, we all are affected by life and its trials! That's why our eyes have to be FIXED on the eternal...today is so temporary. One day there will be no more homesickness...we'll all be in heaven with our Father and our brothers and sisters in Christ..."what a day of rejoicing that will be!!"

I was also reminded of 1 Peter 2:11-12
we are "strangers and aliens" in this world...we should expect to feel homesick...those are God-given urges that draw our hearts homeward. I've decided today to turn my homesickness into a catalyst for turning my heart and my eyes to Jesus. Only He can fully satisfy me completely. Tuscaloosa can't do it, Oxford can't do it, my family can't do it, my friends can't do it...not even Chris can do it...As Philippians 4:19 says, "MY God will meet ALL your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

Amen and Amen!!

Thanks for letting me vent and preach :)
Thank you for following us and praying for us...we love you all!