Belonging (or lack thereof)

Today I ate a feast of goat meat with my fingers, encouraged my children digging in the dirt and told them to stop bothering the goats, caught a chicken to show Gracie, and laughed about rats while sorting through dusty books...

I've been pondering "belonging."

I grew up to be a third culture kid - an American missionary kid who didn't belong in America. I looked American, but wasn't. My passport said I was American, but my heart didn't.

Over the years, through college, medical school, residency, I drifted into becoming more American. I started to belong to America.

Then I moved back to Africa. And I don't belong in Africa. I will never be Acholi, no matter how hard I try. But now, after two years of living in Africa again, I certainly don't belong in America.

So... where do I belong?

My children will (hopefully) struggle with this very question. Yes, I pray that my children feel that discomfort of belonging (or lack thereof). Because this struggle is essential to the Christian life, as we live as "aliens and strangers in this world" (I Peter 2:11), looking forward to an eternity of belonging to Christ (II Peter 3:3-18).

Within our own culture, within our own family, surrounded by friends who understand us, it can be too easy to slip into a false sense of belonging. We DON'T belong anywhere in this world. As Christians, we are NEW creations in Christ (II Corinthians 5:17).

Take comfort and find joy!

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