Home Sweet Home

When I was in Fifth grade we sold our house in hopes of building a home closer to town, which never worked out. Since that day I have not lived in house but I grew up in amazing home. For the longest time all I ever wanted was a permanent building that my family could call our home. Then we joined the carnival and a travel trailer that moved from fair to fair became our house. It was not my ideal situation and I swore that when I graduated I was going to move out into my own house. I just wanted a place to call my own, hold ALL of my stuff, and be my home. Well God most definitely had a different idea right after High School I did YWAM (youth with a mission) and that was far from normal and for 6 months I travelled between LA, Arizona and multiple cities in Chile. Then during the summer I started traveling with an Alaskan carnival. It was also far from normal. The next year I staffed a skateboarding school and I figured I would be in one spot for a bit however that school decided they wanted to be a traveling school so pretty much I lived out of my car for a few months. Then I got to settle down for a solid 3 months at the YWAM base but then summer came and I was traveling with the carnival again. I finally have been able to settle down in an apartment for 7 months and it feels amazing, however its not because I have an apartment like a "normal" person. It is because God has shown me that "home" is not a place it is a state of mind. I feel at home now because I have learned how to be content no matter where I am actually living. In Matthew it talks about how a wise man builds his house on the Rock and when the storm comes it can stay solid. Jesus is teaching me how to build my house, my heart in reality, on the Rock so that no matter what "house" I am living in, my home is on the solid foundation of contentment and that it has Jesus to support it. In Proverbs it also talks about working the fields before settle down at home. I feel right now God has me out working the fields and its not time for me to settle in my home yet and I don't plan on coming out of the fields until He calls me home to heaven because the most important thing while I am here on earth is not to store up material things like a house and furniture but it is took gather souls to come to heaven with me. By all means I am not saying that I will never own a house, that is still a great desire I have, but I don't want my "home" to mean that I am comfortable just sitting around and being normal. I know God has called me to tell people all around in every field that I encounter of His great love. If that means never having a house or having a giant house where I can host events I know that I will be "home" because He has been teaching how to have a content heart no matter the living space. Paul writes:

Philippians 4:11-12

11 ...I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. 12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.

That is my goal. I want to be content like Paul learned to be. He went through so much and no matter what his circumstances he was content. I have a long ways to go and it will definitely be a struggle sometimes, but realizing that my home is in my heart is a good first step for me and I can not wait to see what He shows me next.