Life in These United States

Well, time here in the States is absolutely flying by.  The weeks have been so full of a variety of activities and experiences, with attempts at rest thrown in the quiet places.  We continue to enjoy so many little things, finding little joys we'd forgotten or in some cases, very fondly remembered.  It's been a nice start to our time here.

We continue to struggle through so many little things too, realizing how much Africa has changed us.  The wastefulness and excess that was so much a part of us, now makes us recoil.  Our kids have noticed it and pointed it out, even without our prompting.  They commonly voice questions as to why people they love spend so much money on things that have no eternal value or why they need to be entertained in such glitzy/expensive ways.  We didn't realize how simple we had become and sometimes we feel like a square peg in a round hole.  We often find that we would much rather be at home with a good book than have to go through the torture of a shopping mall.

Processing all of that has been hard for us, especially as we're trying to provide them with some of those same types of opportunities, experiences, and purchases that we would normally have over a typical 3 year period, all in a few months.  We don't want them to be critical or cynical of this great nation and the people they love here.  But, we also want them to be unafraid to lay the customs and common practices of any culture alongside God's word and their convictions and ask themselves, how do I respond to this practice/desire/etc?  We keep going back to the idea of moderation, in everything.

I know that probably sounds so self-righteous and, believe me, that's not my intent.  We realize that there are many, many ways that we are being challenged by so many of our American friends and family. I have fully recognized many habits/patterns that we have developed that need to be adjusted.  We are thankful for folks who are taking the time to speak truth into our lives.  We do not think that we have arrived or that we are better than anyone.  It's simply that we realize that there are aspects of American culture that we simply accepted and bought into our entire lives, that we no longer do.    Learning to live with a piece of your heart in both places requires a certain amount of grace.  Thankfully, my God has an endless supply of that, which we're trying to cling to, day by day.