I shiver here in the Northwest and dream of my home in the South. It has been 10 years since I was uprooted from the warm climes and replanted in this cool, damp soil. My first few years here I felt like I had been planted in shallow clay. My heart refused to root itself, longing for the fertile land where it had first sent out its tender shoots. I longed for the caress of the soft, thick air that enfolds with almost visible arms, the smell of the camellia and Confederate jasmine that drift lazily on the breeze in springtime. I felt that I had been cast out of heaven like a figurative devil.

I did my work "for the Lord," laboring almost grudgingly. "How much longer?" was my prayer--like Lot's wife, always looking back.

On one of my daily phone calls home, my mother gave me some wise advice. She told me she knew of two missionaries who went overseas: One went never thinking of returning home. She had an incredible ministry and a life of joy in the foreign land. The other counted the days till her return. She saw little success, became depressed and was forced to come home early. "Bloom where you are planted, my darling," Mother said. "Don't look back."

The soil seemed to soften when this compost of counsel was mixed into the clay of my soul. Soon after my resolution, I attended a conference and watched a mission film. It asked viewers to go to remote places with the gospel.

"I've gone, Lord," I said piously. "Oregon's pretty foreign compared to Alabama." But I felt Him speak to my heart: Will you go anywhere? Will you bring your heart as well as your body?

I squirmed. "But my family," I said. "I don't want to be separated forever." Scripture came to my mind: "If anyone . . . does not hate his own father and mother . . . , he cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:26). I turned my face toward the Son and turned my back to the South. "My home is with you, Lord," I said. "No matter where you send me, I will be content."

My paradigm shifted from "When will I go home?" to "Where do You want me to go?" Now, under the Master Gardener's care, I am flourishing.

My roots still get a little restless when I see "RAIN" splashed across the local weather map, while "PLEASANT" gracefully arches the Southeast. I have to remember to turn my face to the Son. That is where my true home lies.

Mary Lou Davis has been a Campus Crusade staff member for 12 years with Athletes in Action. She lives with her husband, Dusty, and their three children in Eugene, OR.

List five people you most want to see come to know Christ. Begin praying for them. Look for opportunities to show them His love and to tell them how they can know Jesus personally.

1)______________________________

2)______________________________

3)______________________________

4)______________________________

5)______________________________

"The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).

When I bought a house, nobody told me about hurricanes. When I rented, I didn't really worry about the house when severe storms came through. I just worried about my stuff. I figured, Hey, I can just pack the important stuff in the car before the storm hits, then drive off to somewhere safe.

Did you know that you cannot jam a three-bedroom house into the trunk of your car? Last year, with the threats of Hurricanes Floyd and Gert, and Tropical Storm Harvey, I had ample opportunity to hold my new home with an open hand. The storms reminded me starkly that this world is not really my home. If I try to clutch things too tightly, I can quickly lose perspective and panic. I'm always telling people, "God is in control, no matter what." This year, when warnings of hurricanes headed my way, I had to really live it. Everything I have belongs to Him.

When God gave me this house, I said I gave it back to Him for His glory. He was just checking my grip.

Campus Crusade staff member Theresa Anstett serves as human-resources partner for Ministry Services at the Lake Hart Campus in Orlando, FL.

Have you ever had an experience that left you wondering where God was? Perhaps you are facing a crisis right now, such as unemployment, health problems, the breakup of your marriage, or rebellious teenage children.

You may not feel His presence, but emotions can be misleading. No matter what you feel, God is still there.

God's omnipresence means that we cannot go anywhere that He is not beside us. He walks with us, gives us strength, understands our pain and knows how to handle our problems. He will help us if we only ask Him, and are willing to do things His way and in His time.

Jesus promises, "Be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20, New Living Translation). This was given as part of the Great Commission--the challenge to go into the entire world, preach the gospel and disciple those who come to faith in Christ. Jesus has given us the challenge to reach every person on Earth with God's message of love and forgiveness. Yet He did not leave us alone to accomplish this impossible task. He sent His Holy Spirit, who empowers us to do what is humanly impossible--but possible with God.

I take great comfort in the fact that Jesus is with every one of our ministry's 20,500 full-time staff members and more than 660,000 trained volunteers in 181 countries of the world. His Holy Spirit is the One who works within the hearts of all believers so that His work will be accomplished.

You, too, can take comfort in knowing that God is present and working in any ministry He gives you to do. As you share your faith in Jesus Christ with your neighbor, God is with you. When you teach your children about God's love, He is with you. When you witness to that co-worker who is an atheist, God is with you. He will bring forth the fruit, and help us be faithful to Him in introducing others to Christ as Savior and Lord.

God's omnipresence enables us to be in constant communion with Him and to depend on Him in every situation. Living in God's presence means realizing that God is with you and is vitally concerned about every part of your life. Let me give you some promises to rely on as you consciously practice the presence of God in your daily activities.

When we are confused, God will guide us.

Confusion is rampant in our society. People ask, "Why are these things happening to me? Where should I go and what should I do with my life?" We can have confidence that God will reveal Himself to us when we do not know where to turn. He promises, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you" (Psalm 32:8, New International Version).

When we are afraid, God will protect us.

When we become afraid, God is right beside us. He promises, "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand" (Isaiah 41:10, NIV).

When we are discouraged, God will encourage us.

Do you struggle with insurmountable bills? Have friends betrayed you? Do you feel inadequate at your job or as a parent? Scripture instructs us, "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7, NIV). We are encouraged in Joshua 1:9, "Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Not only will God help you conquer every discouragement; He will help you climb every mountain in your life. And when you come through the valleys of discouragement, you will find that God was there all the time.

He is here with us right now and forever--because He is our ever-present God. What an incredible truth! What a powerful motivation for us to know, love, trust, obey, worship and enjoy the presence of our wonderful God and Savior.

Several years ago we stopped in Charleston, SC, for a short vacation. My wife, Christy, and I wanted to show our children the historic district. While Christy and three of our kids waited in front of the restaurant, my daughter Emily, then 14, went with me to park the car. We found a space by the old farmer's market--a series of covered buildings running from the center of town down toward the wharf. As we walked past the buildings, Emily asked, "Dad, what was that?"

I explained that it was the farmer's market, but then I remembered something else about those buildings. "It's more than that," I said. "It's a representation of a really sad time in American history, because down at the wharf is where slave boats came in. Slaves were traded here. People came to this market not just to buy produce, but to buy people."

We walked on, and after a couple of minutes Emily said, "Dad, if I had lived back then and were rich, I would have come down here every day, buy as many people as I could, and then set them free." I thought about this in the context of evangelism. It was like the Lord said, Steve, you're the rich person. Will you go into the market every day and buy as many people back as you can and set them free?

Of course, I don't have to be rich--God has already bought nonbelievers; He paid for them with His Son. As a Christian, all I have to do is go to the people enslaved by sin and tell them that Christ died to set them free, and that they don't have to live in chains anymore.

My daughter's words continue to motivate me. I ask God to give me a heart like His, a heart that wants everyone to know of His great love that sets us free.

Steve Sellers, a Campus Crusade staff member for 23 years, directs the Campus Ministry. He lives with his wife, Christy, and their four children in Orlando, FL.