An Ocean Away
In October, a one-two punch of celebrating our daughter’s first birthday and me being sick for a week reminded me we moved 8,000 miles away from my family. Of course, many things remind me of that fact - when mom groggily answers a Facetime at 5 am her time, or on a day like Thanksgiving.
In our culture today, living away from family is not unique and our little family of three is far from trailblazing by moving to Germany. I can name handfuls of friends who have left America to do ministry in other countries. But Satan has a way of making you think you are the only one sad on a day like Thanksgiving.
I don’t have overly unique words of my own when it comes to living an expensive flight away from ones seat at the dinner table- but I can think of three Scriptures that speak to the fact that God knew we would be tempted to love our family’s more than Him and that our idolatry would get in the way of our obedience to Him.
Matthew 10: 37-39
“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
Matthew 19:29
“And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.”
Matthew 22:36-39
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Jesus’ words are profound and weighty. We must be willing to give up anything and everything to follow Him. It’s heavy and a matter of eternal life, yet these words also speak to something as seemingly insignificant as missing a holiday.
It’s not holier or more obedient to live far from family than it is to live in the same town if that is what God has called you to do. We don’t have to practice some type of family asceticism, refusing to live anywhere near free babysitting and good dinner because we must suffer for the gospel. You can glorify God with your parents 10 minutes down the road. I have to fight being jealous of those who can say that last sentence is true. No matter where we live, obediently, joyfully going where God leads us is more important than the proximity we land from some of the people we love most.
It’s tough but it’s worth it. It’s a reoccurring lesson for me that I must love God more than I love my family. It’s the only way to be truly happy and truly satisfied. And when we love God more than anything else in life, it makes all the good things He gives us to enjoy all the more precious. So may we live lives worthy of the gospel, making disciples wherever we are with open hands to the One who wants our good.
Today I might attempt a pumpkin pie, not because I like it but to be a good expat. And later I’ll inevitably cry because I am sad to be here and not there. But I can be just as thankful and content, knowing this is tough but worth it, and that the life God has for us is always for His glory and our good.
Ps to my amazing in-laws- we hope that soon we will not live at opposite ends of this country! ;)