On Belonging

WhereOne morning last week, as I was beginning my day, a thought crept into my brain.

“Where do I belong? It surely isn’t here.”

Maybe I’m the only one, but there’s something inside me that wants … needs … to feel part of.

I’m sure the feeling is there in my regular life, but I become more aware of it when I’m on the road. That’s when I begin to wonder if the life God has given me is all about being a perch-less nomad. At times I feel like the only isolated being on the planet.

sparrows“Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,”  Psalm 84:3

I’ve learned that the way to handle such difficult feelings is to acknowledge them and take them to the LORD. Thankfully the Scriptures teach that Jesus is able to sympathize with all our weaknesses and He’s met me in other such emotional pitfalls. (Hebrews 4:15)

When I was pondering this one, the words of Christ in Matthew 8:20 came to mind, “‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.'”

Yes, my Savior knows and understands. That Truth calms my emotions and draws my heart and mind further into the Word that brings life.

On this occasion I was standing in my secret place. Ironically being alone before my Abba Father was the healing place to be.

I lifted my head and told Him about my need to feel I belong … somewhere.

That’s when He spoke.

Not in an audible voice. Something similar to a whisper in my spirit.

Sandra, you belong to me.

A familiar passage returned to my memory.

Version 2“But now, this is what the LORD says –
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name;
you are mine.’”  Isaiah 43:1  NIV1984

God redeemed me.

God summoned me.

God calls me His.

“Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.”  Psalm 100:3

There’s nothing quite like counteracting … smothering … eradicating lies with God’s Truth!

Memories about how He’s been taking care of me during my adventure surged in and lifted me above the waves. Yes, I do belong … to God … and He proves it every moment. I simply need to keep my eyes open to see His hand. And that’s what this journey is all about.

So, I’m back on track as I travel around from place to place at my Abba Father’s bidding. I belong to the One who created the world and everything in it … including, and most especially, ME.

Rejoicing in my last few days in Israel.

I pray my God will speak clearly and powerfully to your heart too.

with Shalom peace,
Sandra

 

1 comment

  1. Sandra, thank you for your transparency and encouragement. I, too, have wrestled with these feelings. I remember an encounter I had with Jesus while visiting my sister “back home.” I had been away long enough to feel I no longer belonged there, but neither did I fit in back in the South, where I currently reside. I remember asking Him, “Who AM I, Lord?”

    And like you, I heard the whisper of God, “You’re a Christian. Is that enough?” And so began my journey of learning to find my identity, my belonging, in Jesus. (Still learning!) But oh, the security of knowing I belong to the unchanging God of all Creation!

    Thank you, dear friend, for your encouraging words!

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