Two Worlds

Sometimes if feels like our family is a part of two different worlds. One world is the one I am currently in as I blog. It includes school, work, church, community activities, and most of our friends. It is sometimes a hectic world, as life can so often be. Our days are filled with job pressures, school assignments, places to be, tasks to get accomplished, and more. But there are also times of leisure as we play games, watch movies, read books, and spend time with friends. I have no complaints (most days). It’s a blessed life!

There is another world we are a part of, one that is about 4-5 hours away and includes most of our extended family. We travel to this world around the holidays and in the summer. It is a more relaxing world in some ways because it does not consist of school and job pressures or daily chores. We sit around the living room, chatting, catching up, discussing events, and sharing memories with family members we do not see as often as we would like to. This, too, is a blessed life.

It is hard transitioning from one world to the other. To leave this world, the one I am in now, laundry must be done and bags must be packed. Work and school are put on hold and books are set aside. Keeping up with friends takes a hiatus. No tasks can be accomplished while we are away, so we leave knowing that we will be coming back to jobs that have been put on hold and a week’s worth of dirty clothes that will need to be washed.

It's no easier leaving the other world, however, because we have to drive away from those who have loved us all of our lives, who care for us unconditionally. That’s hard to wave goodbye to.

It is nice to have these two different worlds, but I sure do wish they could merge more often. Occasionally, our parents or perhaps even an aunt or brother will visit us in this world. It is exciting to welcome them in our home and share this life with them. However, those visits aren’t as often as we would like, so we also try to merge our worlds together through emails, phone calls, and even this blog.

There is common presence in both worlds, and that is God. He promises never to leave or forsake us, and He is with us no matter where we are. I realize that even our two worlds are temporary. As our boys become men with their own jobs, homes, and families, these two worlds will transform into several different worlds. I don’t like to think about that too much. I like life as it is now, even with two worlds that are sometimes hard to transition between and that I wish could blend more often.

Yet I have peace because I know that wherever we are now and wherever we may go one day, God is always with us. And when our different “worlds” in this life are over, we will all be together in a new world, citizens of Heaven, with our Lord and Savior. That is a blessing to look forward to!

“…for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9