headed back home to gainesville, georgia from deridder, louisiana ! a days worth of driving ahead of us with my girl kailey next to me, worship playing, frequent naps, and orange juice in the cup holder.
as we head back to base once again i find myself saying to those around me, “yay ! we are going home”, “i can’t wait to be home“, “i miss our home!!”. SO WEIRD ! missing this place that only a few months back seemed like a strange cluster of land with even stranger people. now my soul yearns to be back.
so the question is this: what is home? where is it?
ive been asking myself this for so long. from moving homes across the states to finding church community, to packing up all my stuff in a backpack for a trip around the world. where is home and how do i get there ?
a few weeks back i was journaling and found myself talking about georgia and how much i love it ! we had just gotten our tests for covid (so we could go to louisiana for ministry !!) and gotten chick-fil-a for the first time in FOREVER ! i wrote about the day and how silly we were acting in the van “on the way home.” those exact words ! “ON THE WAY HOME !!!!!”
i wrote those simple words down and immediately was taken aback by how naturally they flowed into the paper.
and it goes so much deeper than georgia and the AIM base feeling like home.
the people !! every day i wake up with my best friends and watch the sunrise and share stories and eat meals and learn HARD things and sing songs of praise and mourn the moments and see jesus in each of them. we do ministry together and act ridiculous and travel and they too, feel like home.
one night this week our squad came together to worship and i realized i wasn’t walking in as much freedom as i was talking about. i was actually walking in a lot of fear and comparison. i was so overwhelmed by this realization and i honestly became so disappointed with my myself. truth be told, comparison runs deeps within me.
but the blood of christ runs deeper.
i could sit in this overwhelming feeling or conquer the lies from HELL with the blood of christ that flows runs through MY veins. he lives within me, his holy spirit dwells, and he has the victory ! what an identity check !
it really goes to show how at home jesus is within his kids. he makes a table and a bed and a room within my heart, pumping his grace and love and power throughout my whole system. thanks God !!
so yeah !! home is where the heart is ! and my heart is in christ !
what is home to you??
love, gretchen
I really enjoyed your blog. Sounds like you have figured out where your home is. I pray that God walks by your side wherever home is for you.
Uncle Coy and I are very proud of you.
We love you!!
Aunt Joyice and Uncle Coy
Thank you so much Aunt Joyice and Uncle Coy! Appreciate your kind words and encouragement every time!