"There's No Place Like Home"

A long time ago, I learned what took Dorothy so long to learn. From the time I was very little I have always had special places that I consider "home". It's what God teaches that has taken me longer to learn. That is, that this earth is not my home.

We say that all that time. But, really, stop and think about it. As much as you love your family, your house, your town - whatever makes "home" "home", it is not your home. You should not feel totally settled there. It should leave you longing for so much more.

In my time away I have not really missed "home". The 21st Century has aided me - I have been able to FB, e-mail, skype, write letters, and talk on the phone with anyone from home any time I want. My mom even saw to it that I continued to receive my little town's weekly newspaper! More than that though, God has kept me. I knew that if I got "homesick" I would not be making the most of my time away - so I began praying early on that God would keep me. He has kept me abiding in Christ and so focused on His Kindgom that I have not had the time or the desire to miss "mine".

As the time is drawing near for me to go "home", I have a new prayer. It is a prayer that God would continue to keep me. This time, I need Him to continue keeping me abiding in Christ that I would continue trusting Him with mine.

Everywhere I go, I find myself "at home". I find myself enjoying all that makes the place unique. I find myself not wanting to leave.

I didn't really want to leave home to come here. A few days before I came, I had almost talked myself out of coming.

Now that I am here, I don't really want to leave here to come home.

This struggle will continue until I leave this earth. It is good for me to grow content where God has me and go wherever He sends me. But, I must not get so settled that my I make wherever that is my "home".

This earth is not my home.

I have a home waiting for me. It is in heaven, with God. My life on this earth is all about preparing for that HOME I have in heaven. That is why we can leave father, mother, brother, sister, and friends to go wherever God sends us. This is a lesson I must continue to learn.

I must find my security in God, His plans for my life, and the HOME He has made for me in heaven. I must submit to Him in using my time on earth to make me fit for my eternity in heaven.

As I abide in Christ in the presence of God now, I will be practicing for abiding with Christ in the presence of God forever. That is HOME. That is why wherever I am on this earth I can have peace and security and not be homesick. Wherever God sends me is a glimpse of the HOME He has for me in heaven.

So, I do have a HOME. There IS no place like it. But, I can begin to enjoy it now!