Coming Out of Spiritual Exile

About six or maybe seven weeks ago I made the decision to start attending church here.  It was something that I had been telling myself that I should do.  I had only been to one service since the one I was married at, and I was thinking then that it was just time to go online, locate a church, and drive to it one Sunday morning.

A review of the churches in the church body of which I am a member showed four or five sister congregations out here to choose from.  One is down in Henderson and two were on my side of Las Vegas.  I chose the one down in Summerlin, and came out of spiritual exile.

The rest of the day I was feeling really good about things for quite some time.  I have been going back since on most weekends when I am here in town.  I missed last Sunday due to a bug that I had the day before, but I made it today.

I really wish Sheila could have been there with me on those Sundays I've made it.  I know she would like this church, but the one we have back in Tucson is also right up there and I still regard that as my church.......even if I have to attend a different one while I'm exiled here in Nevada away from my home.

This morning was really great.  I met a couple that I knew at my then church in San Jose.  I hadn't seen them in nearly 30 years.  They have retired to Las Vegas, but make occasional visits to San Jose.  Sheila and I will be in San Jose for a vacation before too long, and who knows, we may run into them again.

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In some ways I identify with the Hebrew nation as described in the Old Testament.  They left Egypt, and went to go wandering in the desert for 40 years.  When that time was up, they left the desert to enter a land flowing with milk and honey.  Then after a collection of centuries, they were carried off into Babylonian captivity, and then returned after 70 years.

The story of the Exodus has fascinated me for a very long time, and I've had something of my own personal Exodus.  In my case I left a land flowing with milk and honey to enter a desert, but Arizona was something of a promised land to me.  I love Arizona and I miss being there.

However, I probably ought to be reading up again on their Babylonian captivity.  I feel sometimes like I am in my own counterpart to it here, having to be in Nevada so that I can stay in the workforce; not knowing how long this will last or if I will ever make it back to Tucson.

My employer is thinking of opening up another plantsite in Phoenix, and I've already put in for a transfer there, should they want Vegas people to go down.  My new boss said that I could go, but that he'd need me up here for two or three days a week.  I'm fine with that, as that if I'm working in Phoenix I could see Sheila every weekend.

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I've known Sheila for over two years now and she is still continuing to amaze me.  I go Downtown every second or third week here to get out of the house, and although the people-watching is even better there than what you can see at an airport, it would be better if she were there with me.

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As I've stated, I don't know how long my time here will last.  There may be a rationale for staying here, and moving out of Tucson.  I'm not sure that I like Las Vegas all that much, but Summerlin is nice and that's where my new church is.  I've heard lots of good things about Henderson, but that's too far away from my job for my liking.  I have made a couple of visits there, and really need to go there a few more times to get a better feel for it. 

I would have no issue retiring in Nevada, in and of itself.

I just don't think I want to retire in Las Vegas.