Home Sweet Home?

Is it Home Sweet Home or Hot Sweaty Humidity? Yech! The desert has six things I miss now (the first five start with "D"!), I also miss the dryness. But otherwise, it's a relief to be off the road and back at home. Still not unpacked, but moved out of my truck. I almost extended my trip another night in Broken Arrow tostay a little longer with my big brother, but I really did need to get some things done at work and home. But thanks to Gene and Cindy for always being glad to see me and feeding me another home-cooked meal. More than the adventures and relaxation, this trip has been about family. There is something intangible yet fulfilling about good relationships with family. You pick your friends (and you pick your nose (no wait, wrong quote!)). You choose your friends but family is decided for you. Some people see that as a detriment, but not me. The relationship with family members is what each one puts into the shared circumstance of being related by someone else's decision. With some, it is decidedly easier to be close or fond of. Other family members may be kept more relationally distant. Yet no matter what, we are still family. You don't have that with friends or acquaintances. I have known my siblings for as long as I remember, I don't have anywhere near that long of a history with my friends. Residences and interests change, but I still share parents, siblings, stories, and deep family history with these four people no matter what changes in me or them. There is something "real life" about that. So I am thankful to have friendship with many of my family members. I am thankful for that, even when I have been guilty of taking it for granted. Can you tell that I've spent some time thinking about that while driving the last couple days? There was nothing else to do.

However, I am back here for now. I have a few days here to reorganize before I'll be off again, next week is church camp. Friends missed me while I was gone, though there have been no arguments over who would get to sit next to me (as frustrating as it was for all of us, I was a little flattered that Devin and Desirae wanted to be with their often absent uncle). My friends from our Christian fellowship here at ABS are important to me (preceding monologue not withstanding) not in competition against family but as a distinct part of who I am. We have a closeness based on more than a shared interest, but a life made different in Christ. I think it is significant that God chose to describe our relationship as Christians with one another in terms of brothers and sisters. I understand that a little better now than before because of my family. Thanks.

Anyways I've been long-winded enough for 2am (which will explain why this post may not make that much sense either). But it made sense yesterday and today as I was thinking about it in my heart and head.