Homecoming
How a new place introduced me to a new me
Note to the reader: This is an expanded version of a reflection that came a year after our family’s transition to Atlanta after my three decades of NYC life.
A year. Like a whirlwind that situated you in a new city, swirling with new faces, new possibilities, new versions of yourself. Funny, you think, how amid all the fresh faces, new stories, I found myself drawn to the most fascinating stranger in the room: me.
This self-discovery isn't a DIY project. It's more like a treasure hunt, with a map tucked within your soul, leading you on an adventure inward. Each layer peeled back reveals a glimmer of gold, a facet of who you truly are. And in that vulnerable space of acceptance, before you even attempt to define yourself, you discover God. Not as a distant God, but like the Easter egg hidden within Genesis 2, woven into the fabric of your being. Maybe that's why we're called to those quiet, hidden moments of prayer—a reminder that the Divine resides not just in cathedrals, but within the quiet spaces of our own hearts.
"The secret place where we encounter God in a truly transformative way," you whisper, savoring the words. Then those words lock into place. This journey inward isn't about shrinking your world, but deepening it. It's about self-centering, yes, but not about becoming self-absorbed. We don’t intend to navel-gaze, but we are adventuring for the center that holds us steady amidst the storms.
And as you learn to like the person that you are discovering, a quiet joy settles in. You find comfort knowing that even the parts you shy away from, the shadows that linger in the corners, are bathed in the warm glow of God's presence. This self-discovery, you realize, isn't about erasing imperfections, but about embracing them as intentional brushstrokes on the canvas of your soul, each one contributing to the vibrant masterpiece that is you.
The greatest adventure you'll ever take might just be the one leading you right back to yourself, and in that homecoming, you'll find God waiting.
Imagine it: you, standing tall in the heart of this new place, not overwhelmed by the noise, but grounded in your own quiet strength. The faces around you are still new, the paths still uncharted, but you carry a compass within. A compass etched with the inscription "Love," "Embrace," "God," guiding you towards a future as unique and beautiful as the person you're becoming. And that, friend, is a journey worth taking, one step, one discovery, one quiet encounter at a time.
Love every word.