Putting the great in the ordinary

Our flight home was fairly uneventful. We saw the All Blacks (NZ's rugby team) in the Christchurch airport. Pretty cool! I should have asked for a picture! We had to wait through the check-in line twice: once in Christchurch and once in Auckland. That was annoying, but I guess that's what you pay for the laid back kiwi lifestyle (not a lot of organization at times). We hardly slept on our 12 hour flight. People were not sleeping and there was a LOT of coughing going on around us. (We didn't get sick!) Needless to say, by the time we arrived at LAX, we were pretty tired, so we slept the rest of the way home.

Still smiling on our plane from LA to Dallas 

 

 

The clouds were really pretty! We could see a layer of cirrus clouds above a layer of cumulus clouds.

Having been home for a few days, I would assume that life would be back to normal. It is somewhat back to normal: I've cleaned, done laundry, gone on a run, cooked some fresh beans to freeze and use in chili this weekend, made way too many phone calls already... And yet I still feel a part of me isn't quite here yet: I consistently think I should be walking and driving on the left side of the road; I spent half of my morning dreaming about where I could go hiking - the only hiking I got to do was up and down the stairs to the laundry room; I felt clueless when it came time to plan meals for the week. It's kind of funny to adjust to life after being gone for an extended period of time. The last time I was away for more than a week was over six years ago for a mission trip.

There was a lot to catch up on! We had an entire bin of mail!

All of that to say that there is still a part of me that feels I should be doing more. I feel like I should be at 110%, saving the world. You know, keeping a spotless house, working out at least two hours a day, spending a significant portion of my time with the Lord - all before lunchtime. Ha! I don't even come close to that normally. And I'm having a hard time dragging my jetlagged behind out of bed. What time is it? What day is it, for that matter?

And then I remember that my worth isn't contained in what I do, but in the moments that I serve God and give Him glory. When I'm patient on the road, when I smile at the slowest grocery store cashier to exist, when I take a few moments out of my run to say "Hi" to my neighbor.

Going to New Zealand was kind of selfish. It wasn't a benefit to anyone other than my husband and I. There was no evidently eternal purpose for going on vacation. And yet I feel like the Lord lined up this opportunity for us in a way that could not have been more perfect. Should I feel guilty for having this blessing? It can be easy to feel guilty for our blessings, but guilt doesn't foster a sense of gratitude to the ultimate gifter: God.

And the gift within the gift of this vacation was a renewal of sorts. It was helpful to be (mostly) disconnected from the world, to spend time with God and Grant, to reflect on our lives, to immerse ourselves in the laidback lifestyle of many of the Kiwi people. We were reminded that "things" mean little to God. They can be tools, but they can also be idols. A spotless house, a perfect lawn, the "perfect" job: they don't define me. I am a human. You are a human. You are worth much more than you can ever realize. Your value is found within: the core of who you are, your personality, the gifts you have to share with the world, your quirks and even your weaknesses (weaknesses always seem to mirror our strengths). A thankful attitude brings much more fulfillment than any"thing" else.

So, thank you God, for New Zealand. For the beauty of the land, the people. For reminding us of who You are and who we are. For helping us to see the great in the ordinary. We are all ordinary people, no matter where we are. Whether it is the middle of nowhere, USA or on a glacier in New Zealand. And there is always great to be found in ordinary.