A Reflection. Time to Think.

We're all home safely! After our day in Istanbul (which is a beautiful city!) and many hours of flying, we are home. I have never had as many struggles with flying international as I have with this trip. For a while I thought that I was not going to be coming home on the original return flight we had booked, but thankfully we are here. Back in La Crosse....where it is freezing. Burrr. Seriously. Glad I missed the worst of it last week.

Returning from another country always comes with family asking you non-stop questions about your trip, jet lag, and of course reverse culture shock. When you leave the United States, and go to a completely different country, with completely different people, culture, and tradition, you are bound to have culture shock. The world is much greater than the U.S. Believe it or not, there is much more out there. However, for myself, what I struggle with most is upon my return. When I come home from somewhere completely different, those first few weeks are always tough for me. How we live in America is very culturally different than a lot of places in the world. And coming home, well I just feel like I need to sit and be thankful for all God has given me. Even just to live in a place like the United States we are better off than the majority of the world, just being a citizen of the United States. America's "poor" still live better than most of the rest of humanity. Now where i was for the last week was by no means thrid world. This county was very developed. But that doesn't mean that they weren't culturally different. Because this country is trying to keep up with the world's growing economy, things grow so fast that some important things are forgotten about. Like recycling. Gosh. Makes me so sad. There was garbage in the ditches, and when I could find a garbage can, there was no recycle bins. Anywhere. I later found out this was because this country does not recycle. Something so simple we take for granted in the States. It made me want to stick all my bottles in my luggage and bring them home, just so they could be recycled. Silly right? Saving our earth. Not in my opinion. It's pretty important if you ask me.

Maybe completely off topic haha. But its those things to think about. The things we take for granted. When you leave, and come back, these things stick out to you. And at least for myself I always feel more grateful when I come home from some other place. But how do you keep that feeling. Not taking the little things for granted? You thank God. A lot. Daily. Because ultimately God is who created everything. He is the one that has given you a life in the United States. He is who blessed you with being a citizen of this country. He is who should be glorified for everything that you have accomplished in your life time. This isn't easy. Giving everything up to God. But it is faith. It is what He wants. And it is what puts life into perspective. Remember to be thankful. Remember who to thank. Remember the important things in life. Remember to thank God.

#middleeast