Where are YOU from?

I find it fascinating asking people in Israel where they are from (= It’s a question I have always found difficult to answer, having a missionary kid background…

When people ask me where I come from I find myself evaluating:

•  how much time we have
• if I will ever see the person again
• whether they really want to know

If I opt for the short version I simply say that I live in Sørumsand not that far from Oslo (or just I’m from Norway to non Norwegians). In Israel there are few people that can answer simply where they are from… Even if they grew up in Haifa often their parents or grandparents are from somewhere else. It’s amazing to hear people’s stories!

I talked to a man the other day who has had such a difficult life. I started by introducing myself, and asking where he was from. He told me bit by bit what his background was and where he had been. I later realized he was going through a similar evaluation process as the one I use (= He first told me where he was born, but slowly shared more. He had been through so many difficult situations and things that I have a hard time imagining. Yet he still has faith in a loving God. He encouraged me to pray unceasingly and in everything. Seeing where he is now and hearing about his past, I thought about how easily he could have been discouraged. But he told me to always seek Him who could give me eternal joy. He said it is as if the devil is handing out cash for pleasures now, while God is offering a check that can’t be cashed yet, but is worth waaay more. This man is still struggling, but is trusting that the Lord has a plan for his life.

Our God is an awesome God! He sees the whole picture, while we only see glimpses. I can just imagine His smiling face when He guides people together so they can share a few words or simply lend a helping hand, without realizing what a profound difference that small gesture makes.