Home Sweet Home?

28 Mar Home Sweet Home?

In just a few days, we will be boarding a plane and heading to the United States for a three week visit with family and friends.  It has been over a year since the last time our family spent any amount of time in the United States in our home states of Kentucky and Ohio, but oddly enough the time has flown by.  So much has changed in our lives in just one year that makes this trip somewhat bittersweet.  While excited to see so many people that we haven’t spent time with in over a year, it is heartbreaking to leave behind the four little ones that have made our house chaotic yet blessed for the past year or so.  Oddly enough, the feelings of leaving for a long trip to the US now are similar to those felt when moving to Honduras nearly two years ago.  We are leaving our “home” to go spend time elsewhere, but what does that word “home” really mean and what significance does it have to us as Christians (whether missionaries or otherwise)?

This thought has had me reading and thinking the past few days on the whole idea of “home” and how as followers of Christ that whole concept seems to be in flux for many.  For instance, particularly over the past year or so, I have found it very difficult when talking about Kentucky and where I grew up as home because I feel it a disservice to where we currently live and serve here in Santiago.  This truly is home for us now, and I almost feel guilty using that word about Frankfort.  But Frankfort is where I grew up and where most of my family and friends still live, so it still feels like home as well.  However, Santiago is where our lives are now, where God has called us, and where our family has been able to help raise 4 beautiful babies.  So the question I have been asking myself is where is home:  Santiago, Frankfort, both, neither?

Truth be told, I believe the true answer is everywhere, or the world in general.  Now, I know the popular belief and teaching is typically that we should not view the world as our home, and that our true home is in Heaven.  I mean, there are at least a couple of widely used references to back this up, right?  The Bibles does say the following:

“For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.”  – Hebrews 13:14 (New Living Translation)

“Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it. Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul.”  – 1 Peter 2:11 (The Message)

I mean, there’s even a song with the words:  “This world is not my home, I’m just a-passin’ through…”  I absolutely believe that Heaven is our future, permanent home, and certainly the final destination that we all should be seeking out.  But if God wanted us to view Heaven as our only home, why put us here on this planet in the first place?  Why, instead of putting us in this frail, human body, did God not just go ahead and create us as angels to live in Heaven forever?  I’m not asking this to say that God didn’t know what He was doing, because I believe 100% that He was doing exactly what He had planned.  I believe God created us to thrive in this world and do His work here in our temporary home while striving to reach, and showing others how to reach, our permanent home when this life is through.  We must remember that being in the world, but not of it, is necessary if we are to be a light to those around us who are living in darkness.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden…In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”  – Matthew 5:14, 16 (New International Version)

Just like Frankfort was my family’s temporary home and Santiago is our current temporary home, this world is our temporary home as well.  But it IS still our home.  God has placed us on this earth for a specific calling that we should continually seek out.  We just finished celebrating Easter, that glorious moment that Jesus won the final victory over death and sin through his crucifixion and resurrection.  So even God’s own Son called this earth home for a short period of time.  All the while making friends, loving family, and reaching out to as many people as He could during His ministry.  He maximized the moment that He had been given, and focused on loving others and following God’s plan for His life here rather than merely biding His time here until God’s plan had been completed and His life here was over.  This world was Christ’s temporary home as well.

I say all this to encourage you, as well as myself, to live your life daily knowing that Heaven is your permanent home, but also enjoying the life that God has blessed you with in this world as well.  If He didn’t have a plan for you here, you wouldn’t be here.  His calling on your life can be anything from being an electrician to a part-time secretary, from being a zookeeper to a world leader.  It’s all part of who God calls us to be, and each of those callings is part of our witness for Christ.  The callings of missionaries and pastors are no more spiritual than those of teachers or waitresses or filing clerks.  Sometimes these callings will move you around quite a bit, and that can be hard…trust me, it can be REALLY hard.  But if God is calling you and you are following, then home is never too far away.  It’s actually exactly where you are!

God bless, Eric