Culture shock...at home?

Last summer, living in Mexico, I got a taste of what culture shock is really like. By the end of those three months I longed for college life again...schedules, classes, even homework. Okay so maybe that was a little pathetic, but I wasn't above pleading for a normal life again.

Now it's so much different. Coming back from spending 4 months working, serving and basically just living life in Barrington IL, at Willow Creek...I've come home to culture shock. But it makes me wonder, can you really have culture shock at home?

Being in college I've come understand that 'home' is where I'm at. There's far too many transitions in these few years to really become rooted to one spot. School is home, our parents' is home and wherever we are or whatever country we're in during the summer months, well that's home too.

This past summer Willow Creek has been home to me. I believe that home has much more to do with the people who are there than the actual place we're at and so now the Promiseland team is home to me too. It's been a hard shift coming back to my parents'. I have so many stories to tell and passions to share, but often I feel like I'm speaking some foreign language to those who are here. I just pray that I won't lose this past summer if it becomes just a story...it's much, much more than that to me, but it's difficult to express. Now, paired with my stories is a longing...a desire to be back there some day...a desire to be challenged, and a passion to dive head first into what it is I now know I'm wired to do. So if I begin to ramble on as I tell you story after story about my summer, I just pray you'll look into my eyes and see the passion there, see that in my mind I'm back in Promiseland, back with a team I love and back with those kids who've made an impact on me each weekend.

And if you give me a chance I'll try to capture your heart and imagination with my words...and I'll take you there with me...just listen.