What do you miss most?

I have been asked that question several times. I have come to different conclusions at different times, of course the most constant answer being "family and friends". Sometimes if I am hungry or having a craving for something back home, my answer might be: "Family, friends, Arby's Jamocha shakes, Chick-fil-A's Waffle fries, or Jim N Nick's cornbread rolls."

However, yesterday on the bus ride back from Chile, I came to another answer. I was listening to my iPod trying to drown out the dubbed-over version of Disney's Hercules. I truly believe that God works through the random setting of music programs. In a random selection about 3000 songs, almost back to back I worshiped to 4 songs from the worship album of my church back home in Birmingham, Oak Mountain Presbyterian. If I imagined hard enough I could picure myself back there, worshiping with everyone. People say that you don't really know what you have until it is gone. For me, it was a beautiful time of worship, and it made me realize that I also miss my church back home: the community, the worship services, the feasts of the word, and I can truly say that the church is filled with the Holy Spirit.

One thing that the Lord has brought to mind is that yes, at times I do miss things from back home, but when I am back home I will miss things from here. I will probably miss worshipping in Spanish, I will probably miss the different cheeses they have here, and more I am sure. Yet, then I remember again that this really isn't my home, neither here in Peru nor in the states. So I am "learning to be content in whatever the circumstances."