The Identity of Home

Have you ever struggled with the idea of “home”? I know I have. As TCKs, we often battle this relentless onslaught of insecurity about our legitimate home. Throughout my entire life, the only insecurity I battled was found within a question:

Where is home? Do I have several, or none at all? What qualifies as a home?

Where is My Home?

I first moved to Uganda (East Africa) when I was about eight months old. Now, as a 17-year-old senior in high school, having permanently moved back to the United States after 16 years of service, I am reminded of the innocent questions only a four-year-old can ask.

“Mama, when are we going home?”

“We are home, darling.”

“No, we’re not. Home is waaay over there.” I would point to the clouds, thinking that, because I would fly there, the USA was on a cloud.

Forget being four, I struggled with this idea (home, not the clouds) until the day I left Uganda. Where is my home? Am I allowed to pick more than one? What comes with actually having a home? Do I get my own room? (No, Elisha, you will still share with your brother.)

All of these questions (and the 300 other questions I have omitted for sake of word count) are normal and even healthy. They prove we have a sense for home in the first place. Some people never leave their birth homes, yet still don’t know where they belong. As far as people go, I think we’re doing a fairly good job.

Questioning Home is a Difficult Insecurity

It bites deep, leaving us vulnerable and depressed. To make matters worse, this malady is not physical; it cannot be cured by drugs or remedies. This malady is of the spirit, and so we must turn to the One who created our spirit.

This answer was first given to me at TCK Camp Uganda 2016. The time spent in this camp was world-rocking. Sermons were preached, hearts were changed … and homes were found.

One of the main speakers at this camp was Gabe Williams. Gabe had grown up as a missionary kid in Jamaica, spending most of his life there before attending college in the United States. After marrying his wife, Andrea, Gabe spent several years in Uganda serving as a missionary alongside my parents.

Gabe began his talk by discussing the difficulties of being a missionary kid. Insecurity, panic, depression – Gabe knew it all. He also knew exactly how it felt to struggle with the concept of home.

“Home,” he said, “is not where you are. It’s where you belong. Every single one of you here struggles with the idea of belonging because you don’t fit into either of your worlds. My American MKs are too American to be fully Ugandan, but they have too many Ugandan tendencies to be fully American. They fit in this gap between two nations, bridging a divide many fear to cross. But let me tell you something: your home isn’t in the United States, or England, or Germany, or China, or even Uganda.

“Every single believer on this planet desires to be in their greatest home, but they know they must serve God here, on this fallen planet. Regardless of whether they want to be here, they are here, serving the God that called them out of their sin and darkness. We, as believers, grow up in a place we do not belong. This isn’t home; heaven is.”

Jesus Christ Understands

Gabe then illustrated the idea of “Jesus the Missionary Kid,” saying, “Jesus Himself knows precisely what you are going through. Think about it: Jesus removed Himself from the greatest, most amazing and exciting place in the universe to go and live among the disgusting scum of creation. He removed Himself from His home and spent about 33 years living on earth.”

Christ was the ultimate Missionary Kid. He knew exactly how it felt to leave His home. While He may not have struggled with identity issues, He knows every thought in our head and He understands our hearts. When we open our hearts to Him, He envelops us with His grace and love.

"Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah." Psalm 62:8 KJV

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