There is no place like home

I've been on a weeks journey in the south (attending a meeting in Atlanta) and through this journey I've really come to appreciate the arena that God has placed me in to minister -- the NE USA. I've realized that there is no greater a mission field in this North American continent than in this context. I've also learned how much we (my fellow peers) have grasped an understanding of the lostness that exists within our culture and what is really needed to engage this culture for Christ. So, as I make my way back home I come home with a deeper appreciation for where I've been called and the challenge of ministry that God has laid before me. Don't get me wrong the south is nice, warm, friendly, and cheaper to live; I'm planning on retiring there one day to be near my kids and g-kids. But, the Christian community to me hasn't quite yet wrestled with or grasped the reality of their own spiritual climate. It seems they still think that everyone knows about God and has heard about Jesus. We'll, it's not that way where God has called me, and I'm now heading home to be used by Him to help make a dent in the lostness there. So as I head back north, I head back with a new appreciation for serving God in this spiritually dark arena. Right now, it is my home, and I'm proud to serve God in this place. I never thought that being where God wants you to serve Him would bring me to say; "there's no place like home!"