In about four days I will board a plane in Saint Vincent, and early Sunday morning, arrive in Richmond Virginia.
the interesting thing is though I am excited about being home, a big part of me doesn’t want to go.
Please understand that doesn’t mean I don’t love America. But SVG has been my home for so long, believe it or not, America feels strange!
Having said that, there is one thing I miss about America….convenience
In the States you can get just about anything that you need at a local store thats about fifteen minutes away. Whereas in Saint Vincent (and on most mission fields) you just can’t get many things.
For instance, in late February my iPhone battery died. In America thats an easy fix since you can get a new one tomorrow from Amazon, or go to any number of stores. In my case, a proper replacement battery was never found. I’m sure there were some individuals who had one, but no phone technician in Kingstown could find one.
Though this lack of convenience is frustrating at times, it’s actually a blessing. Because it shows just how many things we enjoy in life that are actually “luxuries”, or things we could live without.
When I first came here, there were certain things from America I truly missed
- Pepsi and Coke (they are expensive here, so only an occasional treat)
- and high quality American coffee (they do have Folgers and Maxwell House here, but I am admittedly a “coffee snob’
At first I really missed things like this since they were a habitual part of my life
And then something strange happened…..
I didn’t want them anymore!
Now I still like soft drinks, and good coffee. But my desire for them grew weaker. And over time I learned that I could actually live without them!
when most things in life are luxuries we learn to live without them, and we also greatly enjoy them when they are experienced
While going through the relief barrels that were sent from the States, I set aside two different things for some children who visit for Bible stories.
- The first was a box of crayons and colouring books
- The second was a box of “little Debbie snack cakes”
now to be honest these items would be appreciated by a child in the States, but it wouldn’t really bring a lot of excitement
for the Vincentian children who had never eaten something like that, it was a treasure!
In the end I’m thankful that the Lord has helped me leave behind some conveniences of home. Because now they can be appreciated more.
As I prepare for a medical furlough I’m planning to greatly enjoy the luxuries that America provides. But at the same time, those luxuries will lead to thankfulness and praise to the God who provides them.
Johnhwilburn.org 