Home

Several years ago at this time - 8 years, to be precise - my husband and I were just a few weeks into an extended road trip around the country. On this particular day of that year we were checking into a hotel right on San Francisco Bay, where we had a view of the Golden Gate Bridge from our window. 

That trip around the country was a phenomenal experience, and most days I enjoyed it very much. But then there were the other days. The days when I found myself missing home. Missing my friends.  Missing my church. Missing my dog. Missing my coffee maker (although I confess I traveled with my own mini-Keurig!). Missing my own chair. Especially there in Cypress, California.

This particular chair, and others like it in hotels along our journey, was incredibly uncomfortable.

There were a number of days that summer when I found myself checking the calendar to see how much longer before we would be "home".

When I thought of "home", I was thinking of our home here in Spartanburg. From the moment we moved into this house, it felt like "home". Even when we were still surrounded by boxes!

Perhaps it's because this is so close to my growing-up place.

Perhaps it's because we had already made such good friends here, even before we moved.

Perhaps it's because we loved our church so much.

Perhaps it's because we view this as our permanent location, at least until it's time for "the home" or for heaven, whichever comes first.

For whatever reason, this feels like home, and I am incredibly thankful.

So much of our life has been "for as long as we're here, .....".  For most of our life, we have saved boxes for the next move. But not this time. For most of our life, we've been waiting for, anticipating, the next thing.

Here it feels good to be settled. Until it's time for our eternal home, this feels good. It feels right. It feels like "home".

The 2015 road trip was an incredible opportunity. What a blessing to be able to see so many different parts of our country! Even so, as we traveled around the country, there was always a longing for "home".

There's a sense in which that is a picture of life. We who are believers in Christ still live in this world. We enjoy the sights and sounds and experiences that are part of life. But underneath it all is the knowledge that we're not "home" yet.  

As we observe current events and as we read the Scriptures, we may find ourselves looking at the calendar and wondering how much longer.

Until we are finally home.

"This world is not my home; I'm just a-passin' through.

My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue."

(Brumley)

 

 

"I go to prepare a place for you.  If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also."  (John 14:2b-3 NASB)