Reentering the world as I knew it

Slowly slipping back into culture, or "reentering" the world as I knew it has been difficult. I look around at the things I knew and can't understand why they don't seem to matter to me any more. I feel changed and different, although my quick "fleshly/worldly" reaction to things don't always show it. :(



While laying on the swing outside and then later vacuuming the dust off my couch, I realized what the difference was...



In the seven weeks I had been gone, I had seen God in a bigger way than I had before. I had seen the way He provided as I stepped off the plane with 8 bags and only two hands to carry, I had seen the way He changed the hearts of government officials to give us a call, I had seen His love for me in ways that came in simple gifts like famous runners and I had seen the peace He could provide in a situation that didn't seem like it should have peace.



I had also come face to face with the basic need for survival through, food, clean water, and shelter. The biggest change, I was reminded that even with the basic of things, we are still left with the simple fact that at the end of our life we will still be held accountable for our eternity.

The Bible says we can know for certain where we will go after we die, eternal separation from God (hell) or eternally with God (heaven). I have seen that it is impossible for us to hold to the fact that because we are a good person and did good things, God will let us into heaven. We can only rely on Jesus' sacrifice and willingness to die in our place to pay the punishment for our daily sinning. So this change I feel has a lot to do with culture, but more about what God is showing me in life, or how I will explain to others their opportunities for eternity. What a gift I have discovered and in the past have been too selfish to share.