Home

I have a quote hanging in my hallway that about sums up my feelings of home,  There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort. - Jane Austen

 Looking back over my life I admit I was the little kid that wanted to go home, sleepovers we're great but only at my home. I loved school but watched the clock for that magical moment when the big hand reached 12 and the little hand reached three. I was going home.

 Even now my friends and family are stunned when I'd rather have a weekend at home than an exotic trip. My heart years for home, when I'm weary or heartsick, content or happy. Home is always my destination.

 What is it about home? From my childhood it was a big old rambling house full of love, good food, my wonderful loud, ever growing family. I never knew who would be at the dinner table that evening, my parents understood community more than anyone I've ever known they made their house a home for so many. Our home was filled with love, prayer, great books, huge pots of warm soup and conversations that fed the soul. My family was extensive and as a child I couldn't differentiate between my blood family and my church family. Both of my parents came from big bustling families so aunts, uncles and cousins were many but my parents never met a need they didn't try to fill, so many young men and women, hungry for faith and family were adopted in. My parents didn't see color; my family was colorful, this was in the turbulent sixties and all around us there were race riots but in the warmth of our home I set on the laps and was sung to and read to by our dearest friend Mother Wells and listened in awe as Brother and Sister Richmond filled our home with their powerful melodic voices. I knew nothing about prejudice, this was my family.  Home was warm, safe, comfortable, peaceful, nourishing to body and soul and filled with love.

 A few years ago our family went through a very hard season and I found myself living in the most beautiful, gracious house of my dreams and nothing I could do would make it feel like home. I remember writing in my journal "I'm so heartsick, I'm homesick but I can't find home." Home is not a house it's a state of mind. I remember packing up and moving away from that grand old home with such joy to move back into a humble little house, full of love and memories.

  I just spent 10 days in a nursing home, it didn't smell good, it wasn't that comfortable, it was heart wrenching but I felt at home...home came to me in old familiar faces from my childhood, faces and voices that have loved me from my crib, holding me, weeping with my brother and I and bringing us casseroles. Home sat up all night with us holding our hands, home sang old songs of heaven with us at our sisters bedside, home held us together, Home held tight to us and wept with us. These same faces and voices held us together two other times as we sent our precious parents home and I knew then as I know now, these were not just my parents but my parents belonged to all of them too, just as I know she may be my blood sister but she was their sister too, my parents made us all family. I knew she felt at home too as crazy as that sounds...she was going home but already home as the sweet faces and voices of our faraway childhood lovingly sang the songs of longing for our real home. One day when we are all fully and wonderfully home will that longing be truly fulfilled I still love home but I know that this is just a foretaste of my real home, I'm so homesick for heaven.....for my real eternal home ...everything here we love is just a shadow of things to come. Jesus understood that longing we have in our soul for home; he said "I go to prepare a place for you." Our heavenly home will bring us the ultimate joy and comfort, it is then, we will find our place in the great heart of God, he is our ultimate longing.


  "I'd Never Miss Heaven for the World"

 Beyond the borders of time  There's a beautiful land
The Word of God, his glory unfurled
And by the grace of God I someday shall call it my home
I'd never miss Heaven for the world

 I'd never miss seeing Jesus
I'd never miss seeing loved ones,  Who've gone on before
I'd never trade forever for a few days down here
I'd never miss Heaven for the world

As for me and my house  We will serve the Lord
Though things of earth may try to allure
For the smile of God means more than sins brief glittering day
I'd never miss Heaven for the world
I'd never miss seeing Jesus  I'd never miss seeing loved ones Who've gone on before
I'd never trade forever for a few days down here
I'd never miss Heaven for the world  No, I'd never trade forever for a few days down here
  I'd never miss Heaven for the world.