Thursdays

Ruthie and I sat on the patio tonight looking out at the apartment complex and thinking about relationships.

Some days, it's difficult for me to be down here.  I get homesick for the people I love back in Chicago.  We gathered around great music and movies almost every night. Life here is rich and rewarding, but it gets profoundly lonely sometimes.

I suppose this is culture shock. The glory of the exotic life you dreamed of peels away, and you find yourself waking to a day-to-day reality.  The fact is that in my neighborhood, I'm an oddity. I wouldn't trade it, but it's lonely and overwhelming sometimes. 

Of course, it helps that we work with a bunch of warm-hearted, lovable kids.  When I arrive home from my day job, nerves sparking from the stress, they call to me from their balconies and they remind me that this work I've given my life to is worthwhile.

The picture above interrupted me in the middle of a spell of depression tonight. I thank God that he gives me good things to capture my attention in the times when I'm blind to the glory he's placed all around me.