Do You Feel Out of Place?

Have you ever felt totally out of place, unsure of where you were at, and less sure about where you were going and how you would get there?I’m writing this while on a plane heading to Paris. It was a sudden opportunity for a free, albeit quick, turnaround trip to a place I have never been, so I’m taking advantage of it. My wife is a flight attendant and when she was suddenly awarded this trip with a long enough layover to do some sight-seeing, I quickly rearranged my schedule and took a couple of days off to join her.But for security reasons, I’m not able to travel through Paris to the hotel along with the flight crew. So I have to find my way, and it’s on the other side of the city. I’ve never been to Paris. I do not speak French. I’m completely unfamiliar with the French transportation system. So while I’m excited for the opportunity, I’m pretty nervous. I’ve got a map in French and some written directions with words I can’t pronounce, much less understand, to the crew’s hotel. I’m hoping to get there before it’s time to turn around and head back to the airport.That's kind of where some of you are at. Thinking of it this way may help the rest of us to empathize with many who are new to The Bridge and church world in general. Our church has been growing rapidly. Over the course of the last few months, many who have little or no church background have been making their way in. We are thrilled to have you!But I’m sure that sometimes you feel as though you are trying to navigate foreign concepts in unfamiliar territory all by yourself. If you’ve never before read the Bible, listened to preaching, or sang worship songs with a live band, it can all feel overwhelming. But we want you to know this, you are not alone. Not only are there many others here like you, most of us were where you are not that long ago. And the people around you are only interested in helping. They are not judging you. They are not wondering why you don’t sing along (if you don’t) or have trouble finding your way around in the Bible. We are all just really happy you are here and we want you to stick around.But unlike my escapade in Paris, there is a really big reason you are here. I’m just visiting France for the adventure. You are here because God brought you here. Some are going through hard times and that’s why you began searching. Others have just sensed an internal yearning that you are hoping can be satisfied here. Whatever your reason for coming, ultimately, it is God’s doing. He wants to reveal himself to you, to bring you into a relationship with him. Once you respond to his offer of salvation, you’ll no longer feel like a foreigner who is in unfamiliar territory. You’ll know you are with family and that you are home.That’s what I’m praying for you for, right now.