H O M E

It's been an interesting thing, living away from home. When I was living in Oregon, for a while, I had the hardest time shaking a strange feeling that I was homesick. Now I realize that in that context, I was homesick for places I'd never even been to. Weird? Probably. But, in hinds sight, I think God was preparing me for this season. And now, in the middle of this season, I have no regrets, would change nothing and don't wish it away or to pass quickly. I want to soak in all I can the last few months left to live in Europe, and what I will be missing by this time next year. But I will admit in spite of that mentality, I do find myself looking forward to eventually going back to familiar things. All of which is natural and to be expected I suppose. 

 
What God's been teaching me about home is that it mostly has to do with the people in your life. In spite of the fact that the idea of home seems to have a lot to do with our comfort, routines and our cultures, I've found that those things actually play a smaller part than I'd assumed. Home has less to do with circumstances and surroundings and more to do with who's in the middle of those circumstances and surroundings with you. I can walk into a place where everything but the people says "welcome", but I won't ever really let my hair down and be comfortable until I'm at ease with the people. And on the opposite end of the spectrum, I could walk into an incredibly uninviting place but quickly be at home with the people. Call me crazy, but I don't think I'm the only one who would take comfortable people over a comfortable setting any day either.

What I love about these lessons the most is that it translates over so effortlessly to my walk with Christ. I'm reminded of Philippians 3 where Paul talks about living with an eternal perspective, as citizens of Heaven...making Heaven our Home, and all it's citizens our family. I'm so thankful that my identity isn't tied to this word. My identity is tied to Christ and Heaven.  And because of that, I can feel at home anywhere, and around anyone. While, I'm blessed by and thankful for it, I don't need the comfort, affirmation, or familiarity of the people God's put in my life when He offers me those things. The situations, plans and circumstances in my life don't have to be open and well-known to me when The One writing them is. The places God sends me don't have to be places I've been to, because He's been there. 

I'm so thankful that God goes ahead of me. He makes me at home. He is my home. Everything I truly need is found in Him. I can grab hold of the joy and peace that I will experience in Heaven now through His Spirit...in any time and place. God's love knows no bounds, and won't be thwarted or trumped by my sin. And that love is all I was created by and for, and all I ever really want and need......His love is...HOME.