“Going Home”, whether home is located in a distant place or in the same city, conjures up, for most people, feelings of warmth, security, love, family, and joy. It is the place with which one most often identifies with one’s self. It is ‘home.” Throughout one’s life, there is a place at any given time that one considers home. It is that place where one desires to be, especially when one is away from home for a long period of time. Soldiers, traveling businessmen, and students studying at colleges on campuses in far away locations all are eager to return home. Even vacationers who are enjoying time resting and relaxing in exotic locations always seem to say at the end of their holidays, “It will be good to get home.”
The journey home often involves cost in money, time, effort, and inconveniences. It can be filled with obstacles, caused by delays in airline flights, train and bus connections, broken down automobiles, inclement weather, and unimagined expenses. Some trips home can be viewed as “trips from hell.” No matter what obstacles the traveler incurs there is always the image of the security of home, which keeps the traveler focused on his goal – home. Despite all difficulties, the journey is worth the effort, because being home promises the love and embrace of everything home represents – family, the family dogs and cats, security, caring, faithfulness. And one knows that the people at home will always be available to help one during the journey when difficulties arise. There is also the knowledge and warmth of feeling that one will be welcomed home with unconditional love and care. It does not matter what one has done or not done; home is the place of unconditional welcome just because it is home.
When one is born and begins life, generally a place or person is viewed as being home. As one approaches the end of life, one wishes to be at home. It is the place of love, warmth and security. Yet is this life’s termination really the end? Is there another home to which we are destined? Is there a source of our creation that is really our home? Is this earthly life just a transitional phase and we are simply on a journey to our natural home? It is a journey that is often filled with struggles, heartaches, and dangers, as well as much joy, success, and happiness; a journey during which we meet and are accompanied by loving and caring people who are making the journey with us. They struggle and love with us, providing encouragement and direction.
As created beings, our life on earth had a creator, who loves and cares for us, even when we error and wander in a direction away from home. This creator – God- wants us home with Him, enjoying His security, love, and friendship. The journey may be relatively easy or extremely difficult, but He will always be with each one of us when we seek His help. When our journey is over, He will be there with open arms to welcome us Home.
The question is, “Will we really be seeking our true home with Him…. or will we have discarded His home for the illusions of our earthly lives during our journey”?