While recently on vacation, whenever we were out, my son would ask, “When are we going home?” He didn’t mean our house in Pennsylvania but instead the house we were staying at during our vacation. His question made me think of two things. First, am I really enacting “Forced Family Fun” when my oldest is only five years old?! (Forced family fun, for those of you who may not be familiar with the concept, is when parents have an emotional need to make happy memories, build familial bonds, offer sage advice and parent as perfectly as possible.) Second, and more important, his question made me think about what makes a place home.
Home. I always thought it was where I lived, where I slept, where my family was, where my materialistic possessions were. It was comfy, cozy, and mine. In this situation though, the place we were staying for a short period of time was being called home.
Then I got to thinking, where does God expect home to be for us? Is it Heaven? Is it where God is? Is it everywhere?
We all have our own definitions of home. They are all correct. When I read the Bible, I am reassured of several things: we have our earthly homes, we have a home with God, and we have an eternal home in Heaven.
In Numbers 15:2, God tells Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘After you enter the land I am giving you as a home…’” Just like then, God gives us our earthly homes. We are grateful for what we have been given–protection from Earth's elements, running water, electricity and light, and more. Sometimes things break or don’t work right or aren’t what we desire most. But God has a plan and a purpose. There are better things to come. And we have God.
Because we have God and Jesus, we have a home with the Holy Spirit, who lives in us. At all times, we can find God’s presence and with that we get acceptance, love, and a home. Mark 1:35 says, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house (that we call home) and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Carole Hoy, Willowdale Chapel’s women’s and groups pastor, recently mentioned this in her sermon on silence and solitude. These disciplines take effort, time and practice. But this home God gives us is always right there, here, everywhere.
Finally, we have our everlasting home in Heaven. In John 14:1-3, Jesus says, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s HOME. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” What a reassurance and hope we have!
So there I was, miles away from my earthly home, being reminded by my ornery five- year-old son that we have a home with God. He provides all we need. We have love, hope, and happiness, right where we are!
ABOUT OUR BLOGGER
A former teacher, coach and personal trainer, Kristin Ryan now loves being a stay-at-home mom. As someone who has more recently found Christianity, she enjoys learning and growing in her faith and is excited to share her experience with others. Kristin and her husband, Casey, have three small children (one was born during the pandemic) and one big dog.