All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. (Hebrews 11:13-16, NIV)

Have you ever misplaced something and looked everywhere you could imagine, but you couldn’t find the something?

Of course you have.

And so have I.

Lots of times.

Lots of things.

Like glasses, books, food, drinks, bills, checks, airline tickets, baseball tickets, phone numbers, important addresses, a thousand dollars in cash.

Whoa, I bet that last item caught your attention. And I really did.

Misplace a thousand dollars in cash. But that’s a story for another time.

My problem isn’t the things I’ve misplaced. My problem is the feeling I’ve been misplaced.

Like God just didn’t know what to do with me. So He put me down. Then He walked away. And forgot about me.

For a time.

For a long time.

For instance, I like hot weather more than cold weather. A whole lot more. So where do I live?

Wisconsin.

I’ve been misplaced.

Another for instance, I like the Hispanic culture. I want to learn Spanish. So where did I spend my missionary years?

In Russia.

Learning Russian. Which I speak.

But not as well as I would Spanish. If I’d gone to Puerto Rico.

Or Paraguay.

Or Panama.

Which are all hot.

Not cold.

Like Russia.

I’ve been misplaced.

Which raises questions for me.

Questions of faith.

About God.

Like…

Does God know me?

My heart? My mind? My pleasures? My fears? My loves? My hates?

Like…

Does God care?

About what I feel? Or think? Or enjoy? Or embrace? Or avoid?

If so, why Wisconsin? Why Russia?

Does God have some sort of perverse humor? Does He find pleasure in my misplacement?

Yes.

He does.