This Is Home
For every dramatic entrance there's a soundtrack; my re-entry into New Zealand deserved to be equally equipped with a strategic selection of songs that would parallel the climatic descent.
The playlist:
1. The Lord's Prayer (a Maori song)
2. Ombaio (also a Maori song)
3. This Is Home by Switchfoot
4. So Good To Me by Cory Asbury
5. Something In The Water by Brooke Fraiser
At the lighting of the "fasten your seatbelt" sign, the playlist began. It's has been almost 6 months ago that I flew into New Zealand for the first time. I began to think back to the girl that flew into this country and how strikingly different she is to the woman that is returning. This woman is stronger, more confident, more in love, more focused, more mature, wiser and bolder than who she came in as.
The plane tilted left and out the window I saw Aotearoa and "This Is Home" began to play. The lyrics proved to be all too true and all too perfect for the moment. The song's lyrics are:
"I've got my memories, always inside of me but I can't go back, back to how it was. I believe you now, I've come too far; no I can't go back, back to how it was. Created for a place I've never known.
This is home now I'm finally where I belong, where I belong. Yeah this is home. I've been searching for a place of my own, now I found it. Maybe this is home. Yeah this is home.
Belief over misery. I've seen the enemy. And I won't go back, back to how it was. And I got my heart set on what happens next. I've got my eyes wide; its not over yet. We are miracles and we're not alone.
This is home now I'm finally where I belong, where I belong. Yeah this is home. I've been searching for a place of my own, now I found it. Maybe this is home. Yeah this is home.
And now after all my searching after all my questions. I'm gonna call it home. I've got a brand new mindset I can finally see the sun set. I'm gonna call it home.
Hope this is home now I'm finally where I belong, where I belong. Yeah this is home. I've been searching for a place of my own, now I found it. Maybe this is home. Yeah this is home.
I've come too far and I won't go back. Yeah this is home."
I was incredibly giddy and in my heart I felt as though I had de-aged about 15 years; I felt what can only be described as 'pure joy'.
The feelings of divine and God-given joy flowed beautifully in sync with the song "So Good To Me"; a song that praises God for His faithfulness and His goodness. No song could have been more suiting. I came into New Zealand 6 months ago, overwhelmed by the goodness of God for allowing me to come back to the mission field and I returned to New Zealand with the same praises on the lips of my heart and mouth for Him allowing me to stay. The song says, "I waited patiently upon the Lord and He inclined and heard my cry. He pulled me up out of the miry clay, He set my feet upon the Rock. He gave me beauty for ashes and joy for my mourning and praise for heaviness. He put a new song in my mouth and a crown upon my head. He gave me life forever more." My mind went back to all those nights I cried myself to sleep begging for God to let me go back to the mission field, the only place I've ever felt at home and alive. And all I can say now is that He did it. He's been so good to me.
The wheels of the plane harmoniously touched the ground with the start of "Something In The Water". The song is of now deep significance just that it was constantly played and heard while I was in New Zealand for lecture phase and I can't listen to it without being happy and without thinking of my first three months of dts.
The only other music i heard, that served as a soundtrack, after that was the beautiful sound of the English language topped with a delightful Kiwi accent.
Every dramatic entrance has to have a big finish. My big finish was when Josie hugged me and said, "welcome home." And there's no doubt nor questions; no hesitation nor reserve in the complete validity of that statement. No burning bushes necessary for this one; the peace of God has consumed and drenched my every breath. I can breathe deeper here.
I'm home.
The playlist:
1. The Lord's Prayer (a Maori song)
2. Ombaio (also a Maori song)
3. This Is Home by Switchfoot
4. So Good To Me by Cory Asbury
5. Something In The Water by Brooke Fraiser
At the lighting of the "fasten your seatbelt" sign, the playlist began. It's has been almost 6 months ago that I flew into New Zealand for the first time. I began to think back to the girl that flew into this country and how strikingly different she is to the woman that is returning. This woman is stronger, more confident, more in love, more focused, more mature, wiser and bolder than who she came in as.
The plane tilted left and out the window I saw Aotearoa and "This Is Home" began to play. The lyrics proved to be all too true and all too perfect for the moment. The song's lyrics are:
"I've got my memories, always inside of me but I can't go back, back to how it was. I believe you now, I've come too far; no I can't go back, back to how it was. Created for a place I've never known.
This is home now I'm finally where I belong, where I belong. Yeah this is home. I've been searching for a place of my own, now I found it. Maybe this is home. Yeah this is home.
Belief over misery. I've seen the enemy. And I won't go back, back to how it was. And I got my heart set on what happens next. I've got my eyes wide; its not over yet. We are miracles and we're not alone.
This is home now I'm finally where I belong, where I belong. Yeah this is home. I've been searching for a place of my own, now I found it. Maybe this is home. Yeah this is home.
And now after all my searching after all my questions. I'm gonna call it home. I've got a brand new mindset I can finally see the sun set. I'm gonna call it home.
Hope this is home now I'm finally where I belong, where I belong. Yeah this is home. I've been searching for a place of my own, now I found it. Maybe this is home. Yeah this is home.
I've come too far and I won't go back. Yeah this is home."
I was incredibly giddy and in my heart I felt as though I had de-aged about 15 years; I felt what can only be described as 'pure joy'.
The feelings of divine and God-given joy flowed beautifully in sync with the song "So Good To Me"; a song that praises God for His faithfulness and His goodness. No song could have been more suiting. I came into New Zealand 6 months ago, overwhelmed by the goodness of God for allowing me to come back to the mission field and I returned to New Zealand with the same praises on the lips of my heart and mouth for Him allowing me to stay. The song says, "I waited patiently upon the Lord and He inclined and heard my cry. He pulled me up out of the miry clay, He set my feet upon the Rock. He gave me beauty for ashes and joy for my mourning and praise for heaviness. He put a new song in my mouth and a crown upon my head. He gave me life forever more." My mind went back to all those nights I cried myself to sleep begging for God to let me go back to the mission field, the only place I've ever felt at home and alive. And all I can say now is that He did it. He's been so good to me.
The wheels of the plane harmoniously touched the ground with the start of "Something In The Water". The song is of now deep significance just that it was constantly played and heard while I was in New Zealand for lecture phase and I can't listen to it without being happy and without thinking of my first three months of dts.
The only other music i heard, that served as a soundtrack, after that was the beautiful sound of the English language topped with a delightful Kiwi accent.
Every dramatic entrance has to have a big finish. My big finish was when Josie hugged me and said, "welcome home." And there's no doubt nor questions; no hesitation nor reserve in the complete validity of that statement. No burning bushes necessary for this one; the peace of God has consumed and drenched my every breath. I can breathe deeper here.
I'm home.