"Why do men leave one place and settle in another place? Primarily because they hope that they will be more fortunate in the other place. And in truth, from the worldly point of view of life and contentment, places can be different; better or worse. He, who does not hope in a better life after death, seeks a better sensual pasture in this life. But if we listen to the hearts of those men, who were able and capable to live in the so-called best places on the globe of the earth, we will detect dissatisfaction, sorrow and despair. They did not find that which they were seeking. They ate to over satisfaction in every place, and finally, still hungry, they gaze death in the eyes. But look at the Christian saints! They sought places with the least earthly pastures; places that were 'arid, impassible and devoid of water' isolated places and terrible places that attracted the least attention and for which no one competes. They considered every place on earth equally worthless, but they chose those places solely because they wanted to draw nearer in the spirit and mind to their eternal homeland. And, if one were to listen to their hearts, they would sense joy and contentment."
The expression, "No matter where you go, there you are" comes to mind. Many times, we think that if we can find just the right place, our failures and fears will not follow us, and we think that our hopes and dreams may have a better chance if we go somewhere else. I myself have been tempted by this same school of thought, thinking that I can make a "fresh start" in a new place where I can be anonymous and "invisible"; faceless in the crowds. The truth is, we can make a fresh start in the same place we are right now. The Holy Fathers teach us, "Grow where you are planted". This means that no matter where we are, we can truly work out our salvation. Sometimes, we're placed in a location that takes us far away from family—I myself was in this situation several years ago when my husband's job required a move from my family. It has been very hard on one hand to be farther away from my family, but it made me more dependent on my faith and on God, and for that, I have to say, it has been a blessing to me with regards to me working out my salvation.
Truly, God has a purpose for us in everything that happens; His only desire is our salvation. This is why the saints were always able to say "Glory to God for all things", because they knew that no matter what happened to them—even in the face of terrible adversity—God was working out their salvation for them, and He allowed whatever happened to them to happen to purify them as precious metal in the furnace (Zechariah 13:9, Isaiah 48:10). That kind of unwavering faith never ceases to amaze me...I wish I myself possessed it and wouldn't over-worry about everything that happened in my life so much. God's love for us is so great and He cares for us so much, that He tends to every single detail of our lives. We are never left "alone" in this world.
