Going Home

In the very celebrated movie, Wizard of Oz, at the very end, after Dorothy had experienced adventure beyond her imagination, she realized that what her heart truly wanted was to be home with those she loved. She stood and clicked the heels of those very famous red shoes and said,

"There's no place like home. There's no place like home. There's no place like home............" until she found herself finally back where she really longed to be.

After a month of adventure in Florida, I find that, although I'm not quite ready to leave Florida, I, too, am ready to go home. Doesn't make much sense when you look at the facts:

It's at least 30-40 degrees colder at home.

I'm going to have to go back to work.

I'm going to have to "adult" there.

There is no beach/ocean there.

There's no heated pool right downstairs.

It's too cold at home to wear flip-flops just yet.

And yet, I want to go home. Home is where I belong! Because home is where my family is. Home is Charlotte, Maggie, Phillip, James, William, Annie, Harriet, Brett & Jessica and Jocelyn.

Right now, I'm longing to give them all a big hug and see their smiling faces. To be in my cozy apartment and hear them on the other side of the wall - the banging, jumping, running, hollering - all those noises that say "I'm home" to me.

I'm longing for my own bed, my own kitchen, my comfy recliner, the wonderful pulsating shower head in my own bathroom, my own familiar car, all those things that are mine and represent home to me. To walk through my door, put down my suitcases, sigh and know - I am home!!

What a joy right now is the thought of "going home" in a few more days!

The Bible speaks to us of another home, more glorious than any home we might have here on earth. For those who know the Lord, our true citizenship is in heaven and our home is with Him. Whether we actually realize it or not, our spirits long for that home! 

Romans 8 tells us that the whole creation groans and travails as we wait for the redemption of our bodies. Revelations speaks to us of the city where the streets are paved with gold and when we make our true home there, there will be no more sorrow, no more tears, no more pain. But the greatest treasure there will be the One whom our hearts long to see and be with. The One who truly is our Home. He is our family.

"...and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

1 Thessalonians 4:17b, 18

As our hearts long to return to our physical homes when we've been away too long, much more do our spirits long to return to our spiritual home. The home Jesus promised us with these words:

"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also." John 14:2, 3

THAT is home, my true home. 

That is the home my spirit longs for every day as I sojourn here on earth.

 Read and listen to how John describes it:

"And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eye; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. . . And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. Having the glory of God and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;" Revelation 21:2-7, 10, 11

It's too long to quote it all here, but read the description in Revelation 21 and 22. See what we have to look forward to. 

The longing in our spirits is not always apparent to us, but some times the loneliness we might feel for no known reason is loneliness for our permanent home. At times we may feel we are waiting, waiting for something, but we're not even sure for what.

I believe I am waiting for that day when I'll reach my final home. And though I'm not quite ready to leave this world just yet, I will be ready to open that door, put my suitcases down, sigh and know - I'm home!!