A Week Later....

Things I'd forgotten....

• I can drive a car!
• I own and carry something called a phone
• There is such a thing as proper lighting inside
• I have to wear a seatbelt
• Clothing like jeans, socks and closed toed shoes
• I have to stand still in church :)
• I can purchase things with a card
• Australian money is plastic
• Australians swear... a lot
• What real cold feels like!

Yes, it's different being home. A week down and I'm mostly back into routine. Back to "normal" life. It doesn't feel normal any more though. 

It was lovely, on Sunday, to see all my church family again and thank those who have supported me in prayer and been faithful readers of this blog. Those who have continued to care about me, even a continent away, I feel closer to for the whole experience. On the other hand there are many people who will never understand what it's like to do something like this. I get questions like "how was your holiday?" and I smile and say "fine". Or when people talk about coming back to "reality" (when being there feels more "real" than here sometimes). How do I begin to explain what God has taught me? 

I haven't had culture shock as bad as I did when returning from Malawi. God caused me to struggle through many issues when I was still in Uganda and I've returned home having already worked through many questions from my heart with Him. Though He has torn me open and exposed my heart to such an ache, I am richer for the experience and would do it again in a heartbeat. Twice now I've been told that there is a certain glow about me. I think that the "glow" that people see is when others recognise that deep spring of joy inside of me that God fills up each and every day. I feel like I'm glowing too, glowing with His joy. 

I'm not the same. I never will be the same person I was when I left. Praise God, He never stops working on me. I'm not finished yet and He'll continue to break me open and expose the deepest corners of my heart to His saving grace and mercy until the day I enter eternity. 

"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself."
Philippians 3:20-21