Sojourner

If I had a lot of extra time on my hands, I would look into songwriting. And I can tell you that my first song would include some lyrics that are something like what Robert Louis Stevenson once wrote: “There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.”

Personally, that quote just puts me in my place. I know you live in Mongolia, West Africa and most of South America [yeah, I’ve checked out the yellow dots on The Yellow Dress] so that makes me believe that I’m not alone in describing a life that is surreal.Sometimes it's like I'm living a dream. Other times I feel like I'm hopelessly trapped. But most times I'm just singing & happy & in honest disbelief about a culture, a worldview, a life-approach that is so foreign to mine. But I'm the foreigner.

[As if that was in any question. To anyone...]

Everyday I'm reminded of this in various ways...
as if I don't realize that
I'm the one who "doesn't belong."

My mind is continually drawn to a passage in Deuteronomy:

"…The LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, Who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt...."

I'm a sojourner. I'm here for a short time, inshallah, delightfully going where He carries me. My Book tells me that I am to love the sojourner. And as a sojourner here, I have been loved. I have been fed & clothed [both figuratively & literally] & welcomed in, by other foreigners & nationals alike.

And I refuse to be ungrateful. To forget His goodness. His kindness. His steadfast love & mercy. I refuse. I'm often numbed & overwhelmed with the life that He's called me to in these short months, a life that is “ruined for the ordinary.” And before we really get going, I wanted to stop & reflect & share that God is great. He is Mighty. He is Awesome. He is Perfect. He is Giving. He is Faithful. He is True. And He is my Praise.

I fear Him. I serve Him. And I want to hold fast to Him.

I sojourn because I love Him & want to make His name great. And even as a novice sojourner... I'm adopted. I am His. I belong. Even I can welcome some in. So here I am. In the desert. And... I'm even liking it.