Michelle Nord

Like Abraham, I am a stranger in a foreign country. Growing up as a bi-racial missionary kid, I moved back and forth between my two countries, never feeling as though I belonged to either. Hebrews 11:13-16 has always resonated with me, as I have lived with a heightened awareness that this world is not my home. I am but a stranger here, with a yearning for a home I will never find, this side of heaven.

"All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. Hebrews 11:13-16

Recently, I moved up to northern Wisconsin, going from big city to small town living, from working full-time to being a full-time stay at home mommy to my two beautiful children, and from having all of my family near by to having to drive 4 hours to reach the closest one. As I transition to my new earthly home, my prayer is that I never forget that as a Christ follower, no matter where I live, I will always be a stranger in a foreign country.