guest blog: where are you from?

In ministry, we often move around a lot. But when does where you live become where you're from?

I lived eighteen years in Duncan, OK. Then three months in Pearland, TX. Four years of college in Abilene, TX. One year in Allen, TX. A few months in Bakersfield, CA. Then six years around the Raleigh, NC area. Now I live in south/central Penn. When someone asks, "Where are you from?" this easy question is actually difficult for me to answer.

I want to ask follow up questions. Do you want to know where I grew up (this question is usually to figure out my accent), where I moved from, or where I live now? You can see how this question can lead to a five minute story!

When I was visiting my parents in Texas recently I was asked where I was from. I said, "We live in Pennsylvania." I immediately felt guilty. My husband and I love our church. We love the area where we live. We hope to be there for years and years! So when will I be able to say that I'm from there?

Those of us who are taken to places other than our "homes" for ministry have a hard time feeling permanent there. But I am where God has placed me. Acts 17: 26 says, "...[God] has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings..." So it is not my husband, our church, or a job that has placed me where I live but God. To not put down roots where He has placed me is to doubt His love, wisdom, and plan for my life. So, I'll get on Facebook right now and change my "hometown."

What has helped you be able to put down roots where you live?

Sandra Peoples and her family live and minister in Pennsylvania. She blogs at Today's Housewife with friends.