Unpacking

Ruth Anne: We were so glad to have our luggage arrive - 24 hours behind us - this morning! Everything seems to be fairly intact, and it's been fun to unpack the gifts we brought back for our families - a way of saying thanks for their support of our going.

That part of the unpacking is fun. There are other aspects of unpacking after a big trip like this that I don't find to be such fun. Laundry for one. Sorting through the everything so that I know where it is next time I need to go. Lots to organize in terms of what goes where. There's a bit of chaos before it all gets ordered again and I can put things where I need them for my "regular life" here at home.

Unpacking my heart can be messy too. There's a little bit of chaos as I transition from loving a family in Thailand to leading a church in Ontario. I think it's more than just the jet lag that spins my head for this first week back. There's a little bit of heart lag too.

I am so very grateful for both a family and a church that not only lets me go so far for as long as I do, but also for their patience as I get re-oriented. Yesterday was a lovely re-entry day, with both my immediate family and the Staff at Highview welcoming me home with no expectations that I actually contribute very much at all just yet.

And the very amazing thing about it all is this. That everything that just happened in Thailand is completely connected to what happens here. God has shown, over and over again, just how Present Everywhere He is, as I keep on unpacking the spiritual treasures I've brought home with me, to share with everyone here, to enrich and strengthen and increase what He's got going for me right here.

Oh, and just as an aside to Mike....Yupa's brooms made it home in very good shape. Thanks for your help in cutting them down to size and packing them!