Home and the Journey of Life

As I write this blog, I have been home for almost a month, and though the pandemic is still an active threat, it feels really good to be home. I have the comforts of my house, the familiarity of my things and the security of waking up each day in a safe place. The other important part of being home is the family that Carrol and I returned to.

But while we were away, we were also with family, our family in Jordan. The surroundings were different and the uncertainties of being in another country were at times unsettling, but the intangible qualities of being home were definitely there. We woke up each day together. We ate together. We endured together and we prayed together. “Together” is the obvious key word. We were away from home and yet we were home.

Throughout the journey of life, we are always going away from home and then coming back. In normal settings, we go to school or work each day and then come home. We take trips to other places and then come home. And when our trip home is delayed or interrupted, we all know how that feels. We know that something is wrong and it needs to be fixed.

Even when transitions in life (planned or unplanned) take us away from home, we long to return home or to create a new environment that we can call home. This happens to most people when they transition into adulthood or relocate for work. Sometimes, though, people feel the pain of a “broken home” or the insecurities of “homelessness.”

So, as I think about the word, “home,” the manner in which we experience it can change and … the security of it cannot be guaranteed, but without a doubt, “home” is fundamental to the needs of every human being. That’s why it is important to remember that God reaches out to us like children in need of a family and people in need of a home.

• John, the apostle wrote, “To all who received [Jesus], to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” - John 1:12
• Jesus said, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” - John 14:23
• Jesus also said, “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.” - John 14:2

From all of this, I want to leave you with three points of application: 1) Be thankful for the home that you have, not just for the walls and the roof, but for the people in your life (both near and far) who love you. … 2) Pray for people who don’t have what you have. Pray for people who are homeless, for those who are in the hospital and for those who might even be stranded in a far away country. … 3) Look forward to a heavenly home, a place that Jesus is preparing for all who follow after him - - - and if you need help with this, just send me a note (mmercurio@1stalliancechurch.com).