As I was walking around Iowa City yesterday, I was struck by how much I live in the past or the future. Does anyone else feel this way too (about their own lives)?
Maybe it's natural at this point as I am still settling into American culture. Reflecting on the past is one way I am acknowledging I am a different person than when I left for Senegal. (I mean, I looked at the tailgating scene like a person who had just seen it for the first time.)
Or maybe I try to use it as a confidence booster for my current situation. I mean, I'm starting over at a new school, new church, new everything. Seeing Tipton people-former students, parents (well still parents but you know what I mean), and colleagues helps me know I can do it again.
This morning, I started to think: "What if I would have done this instead of that" or "Lived here instead of there." It's at these moments that I need to think, "God has me here for a reason." He answered my prayers to bring me to each place (interesting stories if you want to hear them sometime) and has taken care of me each step of the way.
As I receive affirmations from the past or questions about the future, I need to remind myself that God has me where He wants me. My worth is not in being "a favorite teacher" or "a missionary" or ...It's being a child of the King.
