i recently read in a book that claims that "geography" is the most important decision in life. really...geography? the author unfolded the premise that most of what we do and become is due to location. your life mate, career, income, mood, hobbies and more are usually determined by this one choice...where will i live?
i believe in part that this is true. there are decisions that supersede this rule. for instance, if you marry someone in another city, this could determine your life, and often people move to a place that their spouse lives or was raised. a career could also force you to pack up and relocate. but in the end, where you are will in great part determine your outcome.
why do we live in the places we live? one reason could be familiarity. we were raised there and its becomes like a favorite pair of shoes or an old blanket. it brings us an immeasurable security that is not easily cast away.
We also choose certain places because of "calling." we feel that some greater force has a superior destiny for us in that land. even though we may suffer, it feels that it is for a greater good. this makes the difficult days easier to sustain.
There are many reasons why we may choose the place we live, but i'm convinced that most of it is by default. life has dealt us a particular hand and we are playing it. living in default lacks adventure. it is safe. it is less customized.
our computers go to default settings which sometimes saves us from potential disaster. "default" is the recommended route...most traveled, less thinking, the uniform of choice. wear this, you won't have to go through the decision of what my closet holds that might brighten my day. uniformity, conformity, are ways that society is held together....but what makes a culture great, are the designers of new paths. they are the ones that have taken the side road, colored outside of the lines and chosen a risky path.
i suppose in the end, you look at the colors handed to you and decide...should i face potential disappointment and rejection and yield a new life or pick up the pencil and stay in the zone? its your decision...topple the first domino and see where it leads you! a life of color may await you.
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2 comments:
good thoughts... i've thought about that very same thing as well... i've always feared the monotony of everyday... and thought that if i changed location that i would change how i felt about the different aspects of my life... yeah, it doesn't work that way, because life comes at you again but in a different location. i just don't necessarily think that God calls us places, he calls us to people... i love cambodia but i think it's less about the country and more about the people... i'm moving to cleveland, it's not about the city but about the people that God is calling me to commune with... people always supersede location... just my thoughts.
I think it's "both / and" rather than either/or" meaning ~ God will call you to a place, often outside your comfort zone ~ this can be a location or a place in your mind & heart that is new, untracked yet for you ~ I also believe there are "fields" of inheritance that are people not living to their full potential from God yet & fields of inheritance that is land that is to be restored for Kingdom purposes ~ it's all connected ~ people & land ~ the main thing is whether the ground is fertile [within you & in the land] & how to soften that 'location' with God's presence... my 2 cents... thanks for sharing Steve & Jen.
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