“In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.” (John 14:2)
A number of years ago, I was on a train coming home from New York City. I don’t know about you, but when I have been somewhere and know that my time away has come to an end – I just wish I could snap my fingers and be home. I guess that’s how one of my fellow passengers felt when our train began to slow down in the middle of nowhere, less than an hour from my destination. There was no power, and we were informed that another engine would have to be sent out before we would be able to complete our journey. Without power there was very little anyone could do, so we just tried to keep warm and rest until the new engine arrived. In the midst of the silence, an older gentleman stood up to stretch his legs and resounded these words: “We all would be better off if we’d just stayed home.” To this day, when I’m stuck in traffic or out and just want to get to where I am going – I echo his expression.
Home has various meanings for each of us. To Dorothy who walked down the yellow brick road in the Land of Oz, it meant finding the Wizard so that he could arrange to get her back to Kansas. For a person who serves in the armed services, the answer to the question “where are you from” will usually illicit the response of a place where loved ones await their return. When a person with dementia says they want to go home, they just know that where they are is not anywhere they want to be. Often, home in their mind is not where they last lived but rather the place of earlier years where they grew up and lived as children. To most of us, it’s that dwelling containing our worldly possessions and our family residence. It’s been said, “Home is Where the Heart Is.” If that is the case – home is a place of fond memories, not necessarily having anything to do with our current address.
For some, home is not always a place where they feel welcomed or comforted. Not everyone leaves home on good terms, and when that occurs – it makes it awkward to return. For these individuals, events like holiday meals or high school class reunions are not the most pleasant recollections. For others who have found success outside of their hometown, they may also find it difficult to adjust or experience acceptance when they go back. They will often relate to the phrase, “You can’t go home again,” meaning that for whatever reason – they can no longer connect with those who have continued to remain there. When Jesus returned to his hometown, He began teaching in the synagogue. Then they began to recollect who He was: the carpenter’s son whose mother was Mary and brothers were James, Joseph, Simon and Judas. In doing so, they questioned His wisdom and miraculous powers and took offense of Him (Matthew 13:53-56). “But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home’” (Matthew 13:57). Due to their lack of faith, He was unable to perform many miracles there.
In the mid-1970’s, an artist by the name of B. J. Thomas sang these lyrics: “They say that heaven’s pretty; And living here is too. But if they said that I would have to choose between the two. I’d go home, going home, where I belong.” “Home Where I Belong” reflects the feelings of many Christians who become homesick for a place they have never been, where they know with confidence they will spend Eternity. “For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city” (Hebrews 11:14-16). For now, we continue to travel on this earthly journey. While it is not always happy or non-threatening – we persevere through each day with which we are blessed to bring hope and service to a world that at times feels hurt, helpless, and fearful. We do so with this assurance: “For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Corinthians 5:1). And that is a homecoming to which we should look forward with great anticipation.
REFLECTION: When you think of home, what comes to mind? How can we help others who have had a difficult home life understand that a loving, permanent home awaits their arrival in God’s plan?
A NEW LOOKUP DEVOTION IS UPLOADED EACH WEEK. THE NEXT WEEKLY POSTING WILL BE ON SAT., AUGUST 20, 2016. COMMENTS ARE WELCOMED.