This week I have been feeling really homesick. A few different things led up to the the homesickness, but I was sad and longed so much for just a day at home in NC. Then I started thinking about how great it is to be living there with my family and what a precious thing that is to cherish. Most of my life has been spent in the meetings, or just around people from the crowd in general (which I love), I have very few memories of going to church when I was little (and I'm thankful for it), but I didn't seem to treasure it at times. It just seems though that the longer you've been around the more you take it for granted. It's like you always knew that you could run back to it and you didn't fully take advantage of the precious gold that you have had right there everyday of your life. I remember when Leah first moved to NC and I would watch her sometimes and think, "Wow she really knows what a gold mine this is and she is taking advantage of it." She would spend her "free time" with different people and really getting to know her family. It was a great way to get started and "dig in." (Looking back I understand it more now, but I did notice it then.)
I was talking to my dad during my really "low" day and he started telling me about his trip to see Bro. Ray and he made a comment about something and I started thinking about how Bro. Ray has lived in Virginia all these years, alone and longing to be with us and how much he treasured every visit to N.C. He never complained about being so far away, instead he treasured each visitor that came to see him. Nobody (except Jesus) knows how many days or nights he was lonely or depressed just wanting to be around people who love Jesus. He continued to love Jesus through all of the and then Sis. CoraBelle received the holy Ghost and Bro. Ray can now have fellowship with his wife and spend the rest of their days loving the Lord and the things He does.
I said all of that about Bro. Ray because when my dad told me about the visit I couldn't feel so sad anymore (I mean I still wanted to go home, but it took away some of the really heavy homesickness). When I think about my time here in Georgia and how short it is, it is nothing compared to how long Bro. Ray has loved the truth and been in Virginia by himself, or how long Bro. Gary and Aunt Song lived in California and so on. When you look at things from that perspective you can't feel as sad anymore because you know that (especially for me) it's just short term and it makes you want to treasure every moment you have with your family because you know you will have to leave again. At the same time though I don't want to forget that feeling of homesickness because I don't want to start "slacking" off when I do move back home. I want to take advantage of the opportunities to spend time with different people.
These are just thoughts that I had over the last week and a half. I don't know if this really makes sense, but it's just what I was thinking about.
