For most of my life, I have been sojourning.

Five Continents.

Living in places that were not my passport home.

Nine Countries

A stranger. Standing out, looking different.

Three States.

Speaking differently, not quite fitting in.  

Twenty-nine houses.

Temporary. Longing for belonging. 

Staying for a while, but never forever.

Yet there has always been a retreat for solacing in the sojourning.   

A nest; a shelter, a haven, a refuge.

A shelter where I felt camaraderie and kinship with the One who is always there. A haven for musing and meditating on the experiences of living a life forever in transition. A refuge for the honest untangling of the knots and twists, interwoven with all of the losses and gains that come from living far from home.

I’m remembering all of the nests-the safe spaces; bedrooms in my homeland, balconies in the Mediterranean, porches in North America, the living room in South America, rooftops in Arabia, and under the little tin-roof house in East Africa. And whenever I got the chance, rambling in forests, strolling along beaches, birdwatching, and being out in nature. All of these places have been the quiet spaces to ponder, process, and pray.

As I recount my own journeys of connecting, reflecting, and untangling, may this space inspire you to remember your own nests and inspire you to create spaces that become your place of shelter for connecting, your haven for reflecting, and your refuge for untangling.

Come on into the Sojourners’ Nest!