For a person whose life is literally on the road every other year because of work, sometimes the concept of “home” can be very fluid or even nonexistent. This is because home might be a hotel room, a mining camp (had this as home for 3 weeks at the Bundus), or a short-term rental. While the moving can be exciting mostly (especially now that I hail from a nomadic county) because of regularly experiencing new cultures, food, and meeting new people, it can easily bring about a feeling of a shifting foundation because even forming deep, lasting friendships can be difficult (this has been such a Herculean task to be honest).
However, amidst all this fluidity, there has been a constant, a true home: the warm fellowship of believers at the feet of Christ. Right from the small intimate fellowship at Upendo Gospel Community Church to the large community at South Coast Community Church, to another small close-knit fellowship at Grace Reformed Baptist Church, with occasional visits to Hope Reformed Baptist Church, it has been one beautiful fellowship after another. Adjusting to a new place has never been easy, but the fact that we are all believers and part of one body of Christ made it sweeter and easier every single day. I have found my fears dissipating under the sound teachings from our Lord and the beautiful hymns of adoration we lift to our God.
In all these fellowships, I am constantly marvelling at God’s mercy and providence unto me. He has continually provided sound churches that have and are modelling me into the image of Christ. He has also blessed me with one of the sweetest joy of life — very sound and supportive friends, without whom, I might have failed beneath the bitterness of the trials of life, as Charles Spurgeon highlighted.
Honestly, the bonds formed with these friends have been a genuine expression of God’s faithfulness, and the loyalty and mutual love have been a great consolation in this human society filled as it is with errors and troubles as described by Augustine of Hippo.
Blest be the tie that binds, our hearts in Christian love;
the fellowship of kindred minds, is like to that above.
Before our Father’s throne, we pour our ardent prayers;
our fears, our hopes, our aims are one, our comforts and our cares.
We share our mutual woes, our mutual burdens bear,
and often for each other flows, the sympathizing tear.
Therefore, despite the fear that always lingers when plunging into another scary phase (moving to a new place, as I am about to, again🥹), the Lord, through His word, and faithfulness, has continually enabled me to trust Him, knowing that wherever I go, at His feet, beside His people, I am always home.