A Sense of Belonging
Do you struggle with feeling out of place or finding the right place to do the thing you’ve been called to do?
Not belonging or feeling like we fit in is actually counter to our human design. We were to designed to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. A family. We have a creator who created us to be a part of His family; the family of God.
This is where that inherent longing to belong is rooted. It is natural for us to feel this way, but not healthy if our longing takes us away from being in the right places with the right people. God has chosen you and me to be a child of His. Not because you happened to be in the right place and the right time, but because He has a purpose and a plan for you.
Do you ever wonder why God has chosen to plant you where you are right now?
Do you wonder what His purpose for you is in that place?
Sometimes we are planted and sometimes we are transplanted. I am a transplant from New Jersey to Central PA. Yet, I have always felt more at home in Pennsylvania than in New Jersey. I love the pace I get to live here. The green space, the mountains, the rolling farmland, and the water I get to enjoy near my home gives me a sense of peace. I flourish in this place. I am pretty sure this is why God has had me here growing my life with my husband and family for over 37 years! My roots are deeper here than in my hometown.
Terroir is the french word for place, a sense of belonging.
Terre is the french word for earth and the right conditions for growth.
When these two ideas intersect a beautiful thing happens. Growth that is producing fruit in our lives because the conditions are right. Thriving occurs with being in the right place with the right people at the right time. Even when we go through a season of just surviving, we can begin to revive with the right conditions and get back to thriving. Sometimes this points to a change we need to make; a move to get those conditions in alignment once again.
If God is trying to move you or to let go of something then you can trust Him because it is always for your good. Remember you are his child and he wants what is best for you. He wants you to flourish right where you are or if you are not, he is faithful to get you where you need to be in order to thrive again.
If God is keeping you in a place for a season, remember you can thrive there as well. Staying close to the one who created you, who knows you best, despite your circumstances will help you to grow right where you are in ways you couldn’t have otherwise. Your name is written on the palm of God’s hand it tells us in Isaiah 49:16.Like the tattoos people get today with names and symbols, God had that idea long ago! Why? So He would remember His children. Because you belong to Him. You always have and always will if you place your trust in Him . He chose you! This should bring you peace and enable you to rest in this truth…He is your home.
Psalm 91:1-2 which has been written into one of my favorite songs by Nicole C. Mullins says… Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God and I trust Him.
