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I have lived as an expatriate for most of my life, and that has given me a unique perspective. Although my passport identifies me as American, my story is more layered than that.

My parents were born in Finland and emigrated to the United States before I was born. I entered the world in New York, but inside our home, life was thoroughly Finnish. Finnish was the language I knew, the food we ate, and the culture that shaped my early years. It wasn’t until I started school that English truly became part of my world.

In my early twenties, my life shifted again when I moved to Africa. Aside from brief periods in France to study French and a few extended stays in the United States, Africa has been home ever since.

A nomad with a unique perspective

I sometimes feel like a nomad, as if I don’t fully belong to any one country. On a few trips to the USA, people have told me I’m “too African to understand” certain cultural topics. The comment wasn’t meant to offend, just a simple observation. Still, at first, it stung.

Over time, though, I’ve tried to see myself through the eyes of others. I’ve come to realize that my husband, my children, and I have lived a very different kind of life. Our experiences have shaped us in ways that don’t always fit neatly into one culture or another. In many ways, we belong to a unique category of our own.

This isn’t necessarily good or bad; it simply is. I used to apologize for being different. I often remained silent in conversations that suggested I was “too African” to participate. Gradually, I began to look down on myself and who I was (a missionary). I became conflicted about my feelings of shame. I didn’t want to acknowledge that I was embarrassed by who I was or what I did, but that feeling gradually crept in.

We all have a unique perspective

"But you ask, 'How have we shown you disrespect?' You show it by bringing unclean food to my altar. But you ask, 'What make it unclean?' It is unclean because you didn't respect the altar of the Lord."
Malachi 1:6,7 NCV

We are all blessed with the opportunity to serve God through the lives we have been given, and each of us does so from a unique perspective. When we feel ashamed or embarrassed about serving Him, we are not honoring the altar He has entrusted to us.

By respecting this altar of service, whatever form it takes and wherever it is placed, we help ensure that our offerings to Him are sincere and wholehearted. When we despise or downplay what God has given us to do, our service loses something. It becomes hesitant, half-hearted, and no longer the joyful offering He desires.

I have come to embrace my personal altar of service. Just as you cannot serve at my altar, I cannot serve at yours. God has assigned each of us a place, a people, and a perspective. When we honor that in one another instead of comparing or competing, we reflect the heart of the Master we all serve.

The lesson? Whatever altar God has placed before you, step into it with courage and joy. It belongs to you alone. No one else can walk your path, make your offerings, or serve in your place.