Hebrews 11:13-16

…And they admitted they were aliens and strangers on earth.  People who say such things show they are looking for a country of their own.  If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had the opportunity to return.  Instead, they were looking for a better country - a heavenly one.  Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. 

As the time to go home for Christmas break draws near, being in Mexico and remaining focused grows increasingly more difficult.  I have never been away for such an extended period of time, and to say I really miss my friends and family would be an understatement.  However, I know this is where I am supposed to be right now.  But just being here physically isn't obedience; I need to be here mentally as well as have my whole heart here.  Recently my body has been in Mexico, but my heart and mind have been in Irmo, South Carolina.  As the verses say, I don't want to spend my time thinking of the country I have left; I want to search for a better country.  Mexico isn't my home, but neither is Irmo.  Although I sometimes feel lost, I know there is a place for me - but it isn't here or anywhere else.  I can't make my home anywhere other than in Christ.  There is no security, no comfort, and no satisfaction other than what He provides.  My true home needs to be built on a rock - a foundation that cannot be shaken, moved, or broken.  I am just as much an alien in Matamoros as I am a stranger in Irmo.  I want to keep that in the front of my mind - especially during these next few weeks.  My longing should be for a country far better than the United States and a home far truer than the one I have in Chestnut Hill.  That's what I've been learning recently - where my true home lies and also what obedience looks like.  It's about my heart, not just what happens on the outside.  I'm not being obedient by being in Mexico; I'm being obedient when I do everything wholeheartedly as unto the Lord.  Please continue praying for me that I would fix my eyes on Jesus, the solid rock upon which I can build my true home.