Time to unpack

I’ve lived in Minneapolis for nearly a year and STILL have boxes I’ve never unpacked. My friends routinely make fun of my lack of real furniture and I’ve failed to decorate my walls—even with *NSync posters. Last month a co-worker asked, “How long are you staying in Minneapolis? You don’t seem like a huge fan.” And recently a friend from church said I appeared depressed living in Minnesotathis whole time, until last month. As much as I’ve tried to “appear” called and excited to be here, the discontentment in my heart has clearly seeped through.

Through the prophet Jeremiah God addresses a gang of Israelite exiles whowere taken called out of their homeland into Babylonian captivity. They wanted to return to their home and were tempted to believe false prophets claiming that their time in exile would be short, but God had other plans:

 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. [Jeremiah 29] 

It’s clear that God intentionally sent them into exile. He didn’t tell His chosen people to hangout by themselves and live in fear, instead He told them to buy property, eat Babylonian foods, get married and have children and even grandchildren. He wanted them to take ownership of their calling and plant their roots. He asked them to invest in the land and its people, just as if it were their promised homeland they so desperately longed for. He even asked them to intercede on their enemy’s behalf. And as the exiles followed God’s direction and sought out shalom for those that took them into captivity, He promised blessing.

Just to be clear, I’m not saying that Minneapolis is my version of “Babylon”, but this passage does remind me that real HOPE isn’t found in a location or any other fantastical circumstance I conjure up in my head. It’s laced in the promises of God. This means I need to stop looking backwards, thinking about the good ole’ days, when life seemed perfect and my relationship with God “felt” like it was consistently at its pinnacle. This also means I need to stop looking forward with eyes glazed of a mysterious time when life is seemingly perfect and I’m getting every little thing I desire.

Just as He commanded the Israelites, His command to me is to plant my roots and make myself at home where I am right now, knowing I can trust Him. This means being more vulnerable and truly investing in relationships, work, and ministry—interceding and seeking the welfare of the city. Finally unpacking my boxes and decorating the walls. Erasing phrases like “After I leave MN…” and “When I was back home…” from my vernacular. Loving with commitment—whether or not God has me here for 10 months or 10 years.

And most of all, trusting His word—that yes, He has sent me here intentionally, has plans for my welfare and not for evil, and desires to give me a future and a hope.

Bah, this is hard, Lord, help me to learn what it means to live faithfully, no matter where I’m at.

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