Home: A Confusing Concept

When we arrived in the States last month, our friends said, "Welcome Home!"

And I did feel "at home" in the States.

But when we returned to France, our friends here said, "Welcome Home!"

And I do feel "at home" in France.

So what is "Home"? For me it is a confusing concept.

Often, when I am shopping in our village, a shopkeeper (upon hearing my accent) will ask, "Where are you from?"

I hate that question. I hate it because I do not know the answer. I hate it because the answer is, well, complicated.

My first thought is always, "I am from Loches! I live right up the street!" But I know that is not the answer that they seek because it does not explain my floundering French. However, if I respond, "I am from the United States," I have not accurately represented my current living situation.

I have settled on a two-part response, which goes something like this: "We are Americans, but we live in Loches."

Citizens of the United States. Residents of France. Home in two places.

Truth be told, while I hate the "Where are you from?" question, I love the reality of my response; because Jesus lived the same way. He was a citizen of Heaven who became a resident of earth. Home in two places.

And the more I settle into the craziness of cross-cultural living, the more I marvel at what Jesus did when he left one home for another. He went from fame to obscurity. He went from speaking the universe into existence to barely being able to babble. He went from a place of authority to a place of servitude. I think He can understand how I feel. Which is why, no matter where my address is, my home is with Him.

Tweet