On being away from home

Yes, this is a lovely place indeed. Do I feel at home here? No. Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever feel at home anywhere again, even after safely returned to my family and friends in Oklahoma. Nevertheless, God is good, and is so obviously taking care of me. I got a job yesterday (finally!), at a lovely little coffee shop about 100 yards from my front door, thanks to Alan from church. Today I'm off to Edinburgh to meet Trey and Lily-- and in fact, should be getting on the road soon, so I leave you with this. Hope you all have a nice weekend!

The Christian doctrine of suffering explains, I believe, a very curious fact about the world we live in. The settled happiness and security which we all desire, God withholds from us by the very nature of the world: but joy, pleasure, and merriment, He has scattered broadcast. We are never safe, but we have plenty of fun, and some ecstasy. It is not hard to see why. The security we crave would teach us to rest our hearts in this world and oppose an obstacle to our return to God: a few moments of happy love, a landscape, a symphony, a merry meeting with our friends, a bathe or a football match, have no such tendency. Our father refreshes us on the journey with some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home.
- from The Problem of Pain