Friday!

Proverbs!

Like a bird wandering from its nest, 

so is one who wanders from home.

Proverbs 27:8 CEB

Mmm is this a good thing that the bird is exploring the world and finding its own place?

Is it that the world away from the nest is dangerous and staying close to home keeps it safe?

Does "home" in the ancient world mean the same thing as the flat that you share, or the house you moved into last month?

What if the word translated "home" here was the Hebrew word "maqom" which means "place", "standing place".

Like a bird wandering from its nest, 

so is one who wanders from their place. 

(The NKJV uses "place")

It's more like a belonging, 

A place to stand.

A place where I fit.

A turangawaewae. 

We all need that place of belonging, and the land, the space can be important, but if there was no one there, or the people I belong to aren't there, then it's not the same. 

We all need to belong somewhere.

We all need a place. 

A place where we're welcomed, accepted, loved. 

A place we can wander from and know we can always come back, are alway known.

Our family should be like this (but so often isn't). 

The church should be like this (but so often isn't).

Our community should be like this (but so often isn't)

Our God is this.

And he has called us to be this in His world, to be that place of welcoming, acceptance, love, where we, and others can find their place, their standing place, their thriving place.

#proverbs

#wisdom

#somethingtochewon

#itsaheartthing

#inthistogether