Like a Fish Out of Water

I try to be a very organized person. I like it when everything has a place and my stuff is where it is suppose to be. I must confess to you that since arriving at Maryville, I have felt very disoriented. Don't get me wrong, you have been amazing in your hospitality and warmth toward us. You have accepted us with open arms and we feel your Christian love. The disorienting part is in the nature of a move itself. For those of you who have made major moves in your life, you completely understand.

Moving to a new place, you don't know where anything is located. You have to find a bank, doctors' offices, and of coarse the closest Wal-Mart. In our apartment, I'm still looking for things. Nothing is where it should be yet, and it drives me crazy. This is especially true in my work space. My office is chaotic and not up to my organizational demands...yet. I find it hard to focus when my desk, office, computer, and workspace are not ordered to my preferences. I may be a little obsessive-compulsive about it (maybe I need to see a counselor). However, it is getting better every day that we are here. As the weeks move on and we get more settled I'm certain things will begin to feel "right" again. But I must admit that I feel a little like a fish out of water at this point.

I wonder if that is how Jesus felt when he came into the world. Imagine leaving the comforts of heaven for a planet wrapped in dirt. The eternal Word of God left heaven where everything was right and was born as Jesus of Nazareth in a world where almost everything is wrong. (John 1:1-14). I'm sure it was a very disorienting experience for God to become flesh (John 1:14). Yet, Jesus was willing to leave behind all of the privileges he enjoyed in heaven and submissively take on the form of a servant, "being born in the likeness of men" (Philippians 2:8). Jesus out of heaven was certainly more dramatic than a fish out of water. Yet he was willing to go through this disorienting experience to the point of experiencing death on a cross for you and me. Surely this is a "move" that would cause men and angels to sing!