"Blood Country"

They call it your blood country,

And what that really means,

Is that you feel kin to it,

Or least that’s how it seems.

What’s up with that, you’re thinkin’,

Could that be really true,

Some folks won’t admit it,

Ignore it if they do.

So what is this I’m saying,

It’s just a feeling, see,

But I have touched some country,

That sure felt kin to me.

It’s not that I had been there,

But felt just like I had,

It felt like a homecoming,

And I’d just like to add,

The soil, and wind and water,

The trails and fields and trees,

The pastures, paths, horizon,

I rode and loved all these.

It was as if they called me,

Welcomed as their own,

It felt like my blood country,

Right down to the bone.

One more thing about it,

I felt the Spirit there,

So not just pretty country,

But God’s presence everywhere.

Is there a land you’re kin to,

That’s not for me to say,

But if the Good Lord wills it,

Blood country’s where I’ll stay.

“Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper…” (Ps. 23:3, NLT)

Where you live matters. It’s not the main thing, but it is something. The Lord promised a place to Abraham and to his descendants. It became the “land of promise,” and was ultimately given to a generation of Israelites led by Joshua. They had to fight to conquer it, but it was a gift from the Lord. From a spiritual point of view, it is our relationship with the Lord that matters more than anything else. But I believe the Lord leads us to locations where we can fulfill His assignment for us. And sometimes He will grant us a location that we love and feel especially connected to. When that coincides with God’s will, life becomes an amazing adventure. That’s the idea behind our “blood country.” It’s not just where you’re from. It’s the place you feel at home.

Lord, help us trust in You and do good, and then live safely and prosper in the land, in Jesus’ name.

Photo by Brent Prince, used by permission. Thanks, Brent, and God bless you.