Travel can be a wonderful thing, especially opportunities to go overseas and experience different cultures, taste new foods, and see new sights.
Downsides are part of the deal, of course. Sometimes the new foods don’t agree with you, or the beds are not comfortable — along with the sad reality that you can rarely find Diet Mountain Dew outside of America.
One of the things I’m always happiest about when I get home is the ability to drive. When we left in June for a month in Israel and South Africa, I hung my car keys by the door with some reluctance, even though I knew I’d have no use for them. My son Samuel drove us to the airport, and from there we were at the mercy of airplane pilots, bus drivers, and a wide variety of taxis, some better than others.
When we got home, the first thing I did was put my car keys in my pocket. Even though my right hip has deteriorated to the point that it’s hard to drive and I still get chauffeured around, there’s comfort just in knowing that the keys are in my pocket and the car is just outside.
It’s a little thing, but it feels like home.
Professor of Old Testament at Campbell University Divinity School in Buies Creek, North Carolina, and the Contributing Editor and Curriculum Writer at Good Faith Media.
