Her family is moving to Atlanta from my home state of New York and she was asking about places to live. Her criteria was different than most. She wanted to be within driving distance of her husband’s work, within the Marta system for her daughter’s ease in getting to campus, and in a school system where her other children would experience ethnic diversity. They had lived in India for several years when their children were young and they do not want to be isolated or insulated from other cultures and people.
You know I was smiling on the other end of the phone as I began to tell her about Clarkston. At this point I had not spoken of God’s part in my journey because we are somewhat restricted as employees of the State. But “deep calls unto deep” and so she said to me “I am a leader in the Methodist church. Tell me how your faith is leading you.” Ah. There is was. We are both from NY. Both of us have daughters who love sign language. Both of us have a heart for the nations. But the connection was our faith in God and what He is doing in the world.
God has changed my heart for Clarkston over the past few years. It was fun to share a place that I have grown to love with someone who might just understand. I don’t know if Clarkston is the right place for her family. But I have given her a window into this place, my home, so that her family can choose. I teach my photography students about perspective. Perspective is the way you look at something. I look at Clarkston differently than I did before. My perspective has changed over the past few years. Today, I shared my new perspective. Let me leave you with one last story from our conversation today.
Her son was playing on the playground one day after their return from Mumbai. He looked around and asked his mom, “Where are the rest of the kids?” His question was powerful. You see the playground was full of children but there was something missing, in his eyes, because all of these children looked just like him and his world was so much larger than this playground. Take a look at your “playground.” Is it time to get a new perspective?