Citizenship

This week, my friend Vy, and a few hundred other people, participated in a naturalization ceremony to become U.S. Citizens. A ceremony like this happens every week all over the United States. I attended my first ceremony in Kansas City many years ago to celebrate with my friend Gamil, who is originally from Egypt. 

There are a number of things that are striking to me about these ceremonies:

First, there is not a person who participated who did not struggle or sacrifice for the distinction. A distinction I was given at birth. I didn't earn it. I didn't even ask for it. And, if I am honest, I usually take for granted the rights and privileges that come with the distinction. In fact, I may even engage in unfair criticism of a nation that so many still flock to as a beacon of freedom and prosperity. When I traveled to foreign destinations, on the regular I was reminded of this gift - especially as a woman. 

Second, there is an oath of allegiance that is part of the ceremony. The current oath follows: 

I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.

I could write a dissertation on the meaning of the various statements in this oath. What strikes me as note worthy is that I, as a U.S. born citizen, never had to take an oath of allegiance.

Finally, scripture says (Philippians 3:20) that as a follower of Jesus my citizenship is in heaven. Like these new U.S. Citizens, this will require a leaving behind of the old and embarking on an unknown future. It also involves an oath of allegiance, that I am subject to an authority and have a duty to support and defend this rule/kingdom. And, that I will do so willingly. But, in the challenges, God is with me.

just Sheri, grateful for my citizenship status

possessed by possessions

Anything you cannot relinquish when it has outlived its usefulness possesses you, and in this materialistic age a great many of us are possessed by our possessions. ~ Peace Pilgrim

I was afforded the opportunity to learn a valuable lesson. What's that? The freedom of liquidating all possessions in order to follow a dream.

Purging our possessions to move overseas was an exhausting process. I remember during one of the many sessions of going through "stuff," I was listening to Pandora when a song by Erykah Badu began to play. It is titled "bag lady." It is about letting go of emotional baggage, but it was VERY relevant to my circumstance at the time. Her message - let the bags go, pack lightly, don't let those bags hold you down. It was a revelation - purging = freedom.

At the end of the process, we were free - more free than I had been in my entire adult life. Free to go anywhere and do anything. Go. We did.

Now we are back. We are again accumulating stuff, though nothing near previous levels.

I have had a number of conversations with people since returning. Conversations about their dreams. I hear so many say, they cannot follow their dreams because of the stuff they possess..."I can't do that because I would have to sell the house"..."I can't go there because we have too much stuff"..."that isn't a possibility for me because I couldn't part with..." On and on and on. The stuff has a hold on their heart and is dictating their life.

Sometimes, in the quiet of the morning I look at our apartment. It is comfortable. I look at the stuff and I ask myself, "could I leave it all behind again?"

I pray the answer will remain "yes" all the days of my life. I don't want stuff to grab hold of my heart (and subsequently my life) the way it had in the past. I don't want to be possessed by my possessions.

This is not a post of condemnation, but one of reflection.

Could you leave your possessions to follow a dream, or is the stuff holding you back from pursuing such a life?

just Sheri, a sojourner at heart