I love to travel. I will never forget the first time I boarded a plane—it was 1978. I was 18 years old and headed to Israel for a year that turned into four. I remember reading that we all have one of two basic needs that drive us: security or adventure. Me? Adventure.
I also like variety, change. Milton grew up with a rotating dinner menu of about 10 meals—all delicious…but I just couldn’t do that. I always had to be trying new recipes, and even now, it’s worth it to me to try something new when eating out, even if I end up not liking it.
When we bought this house in the summer of 1984, we never imagined that we would be living in it all these years later. I moved a lot as a kid and liked the adventure of it. New places! Something different! Also, we believed that we would be back in Israel soon. Everything in our lives pointed in that direction, so much so that I taught the oldest three, our girls, to read Hebrew along with English, and they learned a basic map of Israel on their Geosafari game.
sitting on our new front porch 
Baby Shannon Ronit, born in our new house soon after we moved in.
The fact that we are still here is a defining feature of our lives. It represents grave and debilitating disappointment–a vision and calling that as of yet, has not materialized. It also represents a transformation from restlessness to contentment, something I could never have pulled off myself.
I have mentioned in an earlier blog our foray to Richmond, Virginia with a mission’s organization with the goal of serving in Israel again. When that fell apart, we returned to Tulsa, to the very same house that was supposed to have sold but didn’t. It felt so empty and worn down, just like we were on the inside.
Increasingly I understand life-changing transformation to be a death/birth event…and a miracle. Death of vision and the death of mis-aligned hope comprised the birth canal that wrung out the heady spiritual ambition, the need for ‘greatness’ and the constant itch for something ‘other’ in me, and I came out the other end free to become contented.
So now it is also true that I love being home, in this very house.
Odom's Odyssey 