Five Minute Friday :: Realize

Back with FMF from my usual blog; for now I've happily reverted to the blogspot address and will deal later with custom one. After talking with a very helpful guy from domain registrar to learn everything basically was ok at their end but then still not being able to log in to there from 13 year old iMac to update blogger info with them plus every phone attempt I made to log in sort of worked except after I retrieved text code they sent, browser window reverted to login screen…

• Five Minute Friday :: Realize Linkup

• A long time ago I blogged about the book home is always the place you just left with its "restless longing and persistent grace" subtitle as the condition of Longing For Home. I accurately admitted i enjoy being almost everywhere, yet I always have a sense of yearning for where I've just been and sometimes even for almost every place I've ever lived. (Only a slight exaggeration.)

But what can I say about this week's realize prompt in five minutes, more or less? I'll start by telling you a few weeks back I suddenly realized I feel settled in my current place of Los Angeles. I'm still restless. I still need opportunities the huge metro area hasn't offered me. I need to keep reaching out with offers and overtures, but I want to stay in this general area. I realized that despite my anger, consternation, and other emotions about not having opportunities I need to be healthy and well again, I don't even remember the last time I longed for somewhere else or plotted an escape from the second largest city and most populous county in the USA. Together with a few million others who weren't born here, who came here from other cities, countries, and states of being, I've become an Angeleno. And that realization brings freedom. I realize I'm free to stay in LA,

One of my anthems is American Idol Phillip Phillips' chart buster, "Just know you're not alone, 'cause I'm going to make this place your home." I realize to be welcomed (in quite a few places I have been) isn't the same as belonging. I realize I'm physically home, but I still lack belonging.

My realize part 2 is admitting despite the welcome a few truly have given me, I cannot continue more than survival without a space and place to belong, because "belong" necessarily includes some opportunities to contribute to an extent that resonates with my preparation, abilities, and longing. I realize that will be God's deliverance into the broad space – "spacious place" – of Psalm 18:19 when it happens.

"Restless longing and persistent grace" is the subtitle of the book about home; I realize be-longing is my persistent subtext.

Note: I plugged in "realize" where I might not have if I hadn't been trying to address the prompt. # # #