There is something to be said for putting down roots in a place. Most of my adult life is best called a nomadic experience. We moved about every four years up until 2000. It got to where my comment was that my ministry was one term only. Of course one has to trust God in my work as to when a move is made. It just seemed that my job was to come into a situation and do my best to get a church on a level plateau. October will be the start of my tenth year in my current setting. Some days it seems like only a few years. Some days it feels like an eternity. You just have to catch me on the right day.

There are some advantages to staying in one place this long. Of course there are disadvantages also. Most of the kids that were small on my arrival are now moving through the high school years. That does make me feel old in a hurry. It's been my joy to see these students grow up as the years pass. Even my daughter is at the starting line of her junior year of high school. These are among the good things that come with being in one place this long.

The obvious disadvantage comes clear in a time such as we are going through now. You get to know people when you plant roots. So your heart hurts even more when walking through grief with others. The hands you hold are those of friends you made over the years. The prayers you pray are for those that mean much to you. The faces so etched with sadness are those you know from happier times. Names on tombstones are far more personal when you remain connected in one place. However, the good part of staying in one place almost always will outweigh the bad.

My daughter has about half of her life invested here. This is the longest my stuff has stayed in one town since my growing up years. My best guess is that my youngest can't envision living anywhere else. It is to the point we don't even think about it anymore. This town just became home over time. Yet, this residence is temporary no matter how long it takes. The only true permanent home for a believer is the one waiting for us at the end of the journey.

Perhaps the end of all this rambling is to remember the difference between the immediate and the eternal. We know this but do we take time to let the truth be a reality? It is near impossible for a family in the midst of heartbreak to see the eternal but it is still there. It might even sound too much like empty advice to even dwell on it a lot. We have to learn how to balance the wonderful truth of eternity with simply allowing others to grieve. It is not either/or but it is always both/and. Home is where the heart is. We can love both but only one can last forever. So while we are busy living here, let's make some preparations for when we move there.

Bro. Trey