There have been many times when I’ve felt like a stranger living in a foreign country.

Oops. Wait. That’s probably because I was, in fact, a stranger living in a foreign country.

I remember my very first trip outside of India about 25 years ago. I was headed for grad school in the US. I had never flown in an airplane for more than two hours before that. Suddenly, there I was traversing a couple of continents and endless miles of ocean, traveling from South India to Syracuse.

At our stop at JFK airport in New York, I walked into the ladies’ room and, after washing my hands at the sink, wondered if I could drink water straight from the tap. After all, I’d heard water in the US didn’t need to be boiled before one drank it, unlike the water in India. But it just felt kind of wrong. (Thank goodness for instinct).

I timidly asked another young lady in the restroom: “Hi. Is this water safe to drink?” She looked at me quizzically. Why was this foreigner asking her dumb questions? “Umm.. well, there’s a water fountain outside,” she mumbled.

But it wasn’t that simple. How did one work a water fountain? This was the first time I had ever laid eyes on one.

There I was, a stranger in a strange land.

I felt like a stranger. I looked like a stranger. I acted like a stranger.

But, maybe for a Christian, feeling strange is normal. Perhaps we are meant to feel a little out of place. Stick out a bit. Be the odd one out.

When God called Abraham to leave behind everything comfortable and secure at Ur and head to the Promised Land, what lay ahead was unfamiliar territory.

Hebrews 11 records that Abraham made “his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country.”

Here’s the thing: Faith can often lead through unfamiliar terrain. When we step out in obedience to God, our steps may not always be steadfast. The ground beneath us may feel wobbly. Hebrews 11 mentions that after obeying God’s call, Abraham “lived in tents.” As a distinctly non-outdoorsy city girl, that only serves to validate my point that stepping out in faith can be uncomfortable and inconvenient.

We’ve often equated faith with fearlessness. We’ve made it seem like if we’re walking by faith, we will find our footing easily. But faith is about the frail putting their trust in a faithful God. It’s about saying, “Lord, I don’t know where I’m going and have no clue how to get there, but I know You do. I put my trust in You.” And, let me let you in on something: even after that bold prayer, there’s going to be some fumbling and some failings.

Friend, if you’ve taken a step of faith and you still feel unsettled, like a “stranger in a foreign country,” then know you’re in good company! We’re talking Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob here.

As someone who has often checked boxes and filled forms as a “resident alien,” I know what it feels like to live as a stranger. But may we remember that our citizenship is not on earth. Abraham stayed the course because he looked forward to a “city with foundations whose architect and builder is God.” (Hebrews 11)

May we persevere in our faith so that we will receive what He has promised. (Hebrews 10: 36)

Meanwhile, if you happen to find yourself in a situation where you don’t know how to drink water at an airport, remember that you can fill up on the Spring of Living Water. Maybe if you’re feeling out of place, you’re in the right place. After all, the world is not our home. And that is our security.

 

 

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