Thank God for Hometowns

I am blessed to live in a small town, the same one where I spent many years as a young child.  I didn’t always live here.  Perhaps that is why it now seems so special.

It’s funny how you leave an area for a little while - maybe it’s for vacation, a job, going to school, or maybe you move away for several years and come back to visit.  When I rolled back in town after being in another state for some time, it was funny to me how I would say, “Oh, still one stop light,” or “They still have that pretty yard,” or “Let’s go back to my favorite Mexican restaurant.”  How things were mostly unchanged.  Perhaps it was I who did some changing while away.  

Maybe you’re reminiscing about your familiar town.  Maybe you still live there.  Maybe you’ve moved time zones away, and just the thought brings a flood of memories.

There’s something about a “hometown.”  Maybe it’s the people.  Maybe it’s the walks down the street.  Maybe it’s the sense of belonging.  Maybe it’s home.  

Carrie Underwood released a song about hometowns.  If you haven’t heard it before, stop and check it out here…

Link to song - Thank God, For Hometowns. 

What memories came to mind as you listened?  Did you think about your hometown?  Your neighbors?  The friends with whom you raced bicycles up the street?  The convenience store that served the best fried chicken? The church pews where you heard life-altering words spoken and shared?  The familiar faces at the local post office?  The friends you spent so much time with?  I’m sure the list could go on and on.  The point being that there are probably a few things that have come to your mind.

If you aren’t living in your hometown right now, think about the last time you went home.  Did your family meet you at the airport?  Did you drive down country roads with the windows down?  Did you visit your favorite restaurant?  Have a big dinner with family?

I realize not all trips home may be enjoyable.  Some may be filled with grief, anger, or discouragement.  Some trips home may not be for enjoyment.  Perhaps you cannot recall your childhood home because you moved routinely.

Think of a place in which you feel peace.  A place that is special to you and your family.  A place in which you feel you can disconnect in a way and simply be yourself while you take it all in.

Maybe for you, that is sitting on the beach.  Maybe it is a walk down the sidewalk.  Maybe it’s gathering with close friends for dinner.  

I believe we can all find peace right where we are today if we open our eyes and look around.

Look around right where you live today.  There’s a reason why you are there.  There is someone who needs you. Be a friendly face.  Spread kindness.  Love your neighborhood, even if you are dearly missing another area on the map.  Get to know your neighbors.  Invest in your place.  You may not have much, but your street corner or dirt road may mean the world to someone in your life.  God can use you right where you are for something quite special, if you’re willing to be ALL there.  

Ephesians 5:20

And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.