One of the charming aspects of being an academic is that you are often surrounded by experts in a variety of fields and disciplines from healthcare to soil science! Like others on campus, I can be guilty of gushing about subjects I find intriguing, whether that involves the dimensions of wellness, Unreasonable Hospitality, or Appreciative Inquiry. More than once it has been necessary for me to engage the Habit of Attentiveness to recognize that a kind listener was no longer actively immersed in the topic with me. And don’t believe for one moment that it doesn’t happen frequently in a class of students within the major. I wouldn’t be living out my God-Given Space teaching in the discipline if it didn’t intrigue me, but I can still spout more knowledge than other people really care to learn!

However, when you’ve been Transplanted into a new community, you don’t have the same Relational Equity built up to sometimes to know who those experts are in different areas. Who is my go-to person when I have a question about Workday? Who, locally, can custom frame this print for me? There is a learning curve when adjusting to a new community and ways of doing! However, I’m not the only person Transplanted into this community and many patient souls have offered a great deal of grace to me in this transition period.

I initiate this topic today because several times recently, I have been reminded that being Transplanted from Tennessee to Kentucky brings a shared understanding into some of the struggles new students may encounter as they arrive on campus. With a large international student population, I do not compare my situation to those leaving the safety of their home country and customs, but I do think there is a valuable lesson to take away whenever we are forced out of what is comfortable into something new, whether that is a country, city, or campus. Perhaps in a later post I’ll even dare to make connections related to precious colleagues who could describe the soil conditions necessary for an evergreen to flourish in my new yard or for what is required for the human body to not reject Transplanted organs.

Monica LaRose reminds us that Scripture offers guidance on how to approach anyone Transplanted to a new environment. “May our response to those who’ve lost a place of safety [country or health] reflect the heart of the God, who is an ever-faithful ‘refuge for the oppressed’ [Psalm 146:9], who ‘lifts up those who are bowed down’ [v. 8].” She adds on the following prayer: Faithful God, thank you for being a refuge for all who hurt. Please help me reflect your heart.

We all desire to feel a sense of connectedness—God designed us in His image [Imago Dei] for connection. We see this play out in Transplanted organs needing to be accepted and not viewed as a threat, and we see this in students needing to find a comfortable space where people share their interests. I am extremely grateful that God provides horizontal connections here on earth, but even more appreciative for the vertical relationship I have with Him which is not dependent on a GPS location. And until I reach my heavenly home, I relish the sense of belonging that I often find in communities of faith, whether on campus or off.

I won’t bore you further, I don’t want you to experience a TL;DR moment and you can always find numerous posts I’ve shared on the topic of Hospitality. Still, I think finding connection with others is critical in all Seasons of Life. I just happen to be in a Transplanted Pilgrim season at the moment, and it is an extremely Tough Season, which God just might be using to remind me of the need to embrace a Second Mile Spirit every day of the year with my students.

Please read an amazing Transplant story about my colleague Kelly Harden here: Living Both Sides of Life-and-Death Care

Reference:

LaRose, M. (2025, August 22). Seeing with God’s heart. Our Daily Bread. https://www.odbm.org/en/devotionals/devotional-category/seeing-with-gods-heart (August 2025)