aliens and strangers here

For the past 5+ years I have been a foreigner in another land, kept here only by the grace of passports, green cards, visas and now, employment cards (most of which I had to use in order to simply get a library card last week).

When I walk down the street I am often keenly aware of the fact that this is not my real home. I know that the people around me speaking other languages never think about the fact that I don't understand them. Do you ever, in the course of a day, consider that you are American? That you speak English and others don't? Of course not - why would you? I never used to.

The longer I am away from America, the less American I feel, which I dislike but can't control. Things like 9/11 and the war in Iraq have happened and changed the national conscience. I haven't been a part of that. But I will never fully be comfortable here either. I am slowly becoming a stranger everywhere.

But isn't that how we are supposed to feel as Christians? The Bible says that we are aliens and strangers here. This isn't our home - our home is heaven. So I guess this is just good preparation for me.