May 18, 2009 we were able to revisit some of those old memories. We were able to spend a week with the Robinson family  in Ohio. Now you have to understand, in all ten of our years of living in Asia, the Robinson family was like family to us, away from family. “Uncle Steve” (as our children called him) and Luke would have prayer meetings, deep discussions over coffee, and leisurely visits. “Aunt Mai” and I would bake, sew, share pregnancy stories, solve parenting dilemmas, hash cultural woes, and laugh as our children bounced around each others houses, growing up together. After being apart for one year, the children picked right up from where they left off. Even though it had seemed like a decade since we had seen them, the old familiar suddenly made it feel as if it were yesterday once we were together. Being together also reminded us of how much we miss our lives in Asia. It brought a new awareness of the realities of “adjusting,” once again. Barrages of questions like, “Will we ever move back to Asia?” and thoughts of, “I miss…” came back to revisit our conversations.

Our famous American chocolate chip cookie makes me think of the whole “adjusting” concept. There are umpteen recipes for chocolate chip cookies. Some are soft, others are crispy, and then there are the really good kind—the chewy ones. What makes the chocolate chip cookie a true chocolate chip cookie is the chocolate chips, not necessarily all of the other ingredients. I would say that Western culture would be the chocolate chips in the “cookie recipe” of life. But our family also has some other Asian ingredients in our recipe that make us a unique flavor. Because of those ingredients we will always “taste” a bit different. Even though people don’t mean it this way when they ask if we’re adjusting, sometimes it feels as if they are hoping that we become your typical “cookie.” I understand that most times the question is referring to whether we are able to feel comfortable here or not. Yes, we still feel like “chocolate chippers,” but we do always hope to retain a bit of our uniqueness.

There is something special about being with people with similar ingredients; it kind of feels like we are on the right “shelf” when we are with them. Though this is true, we also realize that life would be really boring if we were all the same kind of cookie. As the old saying goes, “Variety is the spice of life!” I think this must be how the Master Baker feels when he looks around at His shelves of goodies. Keeping that in perspective makes the adjustment experience seem easier. Like the Thai people say, “same, same,” and in our minds we add, “But different.”  

Since moving back to North America our family has made various observations and comments regarding the phenomenal proportions of the average American's physique. What appetites and what delicacies this culture experiences on a day-to-day basis! It has become a challenge for us to maintain a family value of discipline and simplicity.

Ultimately, though we are a Christian nation in name, we are replacing our appetite for God with food and countless other temporary pleasures. Recently I've been reading the book, I Dared To Call Him Father. It is about a Muslim woman who encounters Jesus Christ at the cost of losing her friend and family relationships. She craves intimacy with her heavenly Father and learns to live with a constant awareness of the Spirit's presence in her life, in spite of the outcome.

While reading this book I’ve been confronted with the fact that I often misinterpret my longings. The vacuum I keep trying to fill with busyness, food, or pleasure is a desire for something so much deeper. In fact, I’ve often traded an obedient heart for my next “quick fix.” So go ahead and buy the book. Find time to read it over the holidays. Chances are, even with all the Christmas goodies super-abounding wherever you turn during the holiday season, you might find yourself longing for more of Him above that plate of calorie-rich fudge.