Where Are You From?

It shouldn't be that difficult of a question.
I was in a store in South Walton County a few weeks ago when a friendly lady working there asked me where I was from. I hope she couldn't tell how confused I felt trying to answer that simple question. After a few seconds I replied, "I'm from Ft. Walton Beach". I thought the chances of her knowing where that was were much better than her knowing where Shalimar was. Shalimar is a small town close to Ft. Walton but if you're not familiar with the area, chances are, you won't know where Shalimar is. Even after my answer, though, I was still confused. While I currently live in Shalimar, I'm not really from here. I'm really from Valparaiso. Valparaiso is an even smaller town close by. It's the town I consider home as I lived there for 7 years, from 4th grade to 11th grade, the longest I've lived anywhere. My parents still live in Valparaiso and I love that tiny little town on Tom's Bayou.

My formative years were spent at First Baptist, Valparaiso, at Valp. Elementary, in the gullies playing capture the flag and crawling through drainage pipes. We could ride our bikes to Lincoln Park and swim the day away. Especially in the summer, we could often be found down at the Purcell's house on the bayou, catching crabs and jumping on the trampoline. We formed clubs where you had to know the secret codes to get in, and my next door neighbor, Tommie Lou, and I carved our names on a tree where we built our secret fort. (I didn't realize I had this picture of Tommie Lou on my laptop. She died when we were in college. I still miss her.)

Some days we would wander around town and find ourselves down at Stop N Save, enjoying a fountain drink at the counter. And if we had enough change, we might even pop into TG&Y and buy a candy bar.
First Baptist is where I learned of Jesus and saw His love in Bro Walker and so many others. To this day I remember lessons learned from my teachers, youth leaders, choir director and friends.
I lived a whole life during those 7 years and Valp will always remain my "home".
However, I'm not sure I'm technically "from there", either. I was actually born at Hill AFB, Utah. But, I only lived there for 6 weeks.
So... you may have a better understanding now why this question can seem so difficult.
Which brings me to another question. Does it really matter where we've come from?
While I do believe we need to remember where we've come from for the simple reminder of where God has brought us and so we can remind ourselves of His faithfulness, the real question must be asked, "Where are we headed?"
Reminds me of a popular song, one that my college roommate, Colleen, used to play on the guitar. (I can't remember her playing any other songs but this one)... This world is not my home, I'm just a passin' through, if heaven's not my home, then Lord what will I do...
Forgetting what lies behind, I press on to win the prize for which Christ has called me heavenward. Ph. 3.14