By Vance Kirker*

DELHI, India–The first time I bought a mattress in India, I remember choosing the middle quality out of three. While it was being delivered several days later, I met the deliveryman on the street and squeezed the mattress wondering just what quality I had purchased. At that time, it felt very soft, but when I laid down that night, I learned a whole new meaning for a firm mattress.

The first few weeks with the mattress, my arm and leg would go to sleep, which forced me to roll to my other side. However, five years of sleeping on firm mattresses changes one’s perspective. Nowadays a wood board covered by a blanket is sufficient. This does not change my love for a large soft mattress, but I have learned to sleep soundly on the soft mattress’ cousin.

Many things are relative to one’s past and preferences. If ketchup went with eggs when you were young, it probably still does and seems strange when another eats eggs without it. In the same way, if shoes were left outside of the house, then wearing shoes in a house must feel strange and dirty; it does to me.

I grew up on a soft mattress but have learned to sleep on a hard one and have even subconsciously redefined hard and soft. I also redefined spicy and hot food and hot and cold weather and safe and unsafe driving.

None of this or the many other categories that could be added make much difference in the whole of life. But a few things must remain constant, and it is worth every ounce of effort to make sure it happens.

One of these is truth. Truth does not change according to a zip code, weather or life experiences. The second are the basics — love for God, neighbors, family, and kindness to all. The third is God. What He says is true and right.

We should not change it, as if we could. No matter what changes around us, no matter how our preferences change, God is still the same. And that is a good thing.

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*Name changed. Vance Kirker is a career missionary serving with the Southern Baptist International Mission Board among South Asians.