“What a beautiful home, God of the Angel Armies! I’ve always longed to live in a place like this, always dreamed of a room in your house, where I could sing for joy to God-alive!” Psalm 84.1,2
I knew before the trip started that this segment would be the segment from hell. Up at 5:30 a.m.; 24 hours of travelling through five or six time zones; a six-hour layover before arriving at our new home. The girls were tremendous! No serious complaining through they were totally out of it by the time we walked through the door with no luggage (the luggage took a Paris excursion).
The trip mirrored life. We shared struggles, tough moments, fun times, and just walking. Everything came together when we half sleep walked through the doors into home. Even with all their struggles, Whitney and Carli kept talking about sleeping in their own bed, taking time to clean the room, and just spending time being.
There is a lot of bad stuff going on all around and to me. I wish I could say that I did not notice it, or that it did not affect me, but I do and it does. Everywhere I turn people are getting hurt and inflicting some pain. When I have a serious conversation, it always contains a piece of life rough spots. No one could have intended life to be this way! There is too much beauty and love floating around to challenge the way of pain.
God is an awesome god with a special home for each one of us. There are specific features tailored to our dreams and hopes. In God’s home for us, we share a number of common things. The list includes the following:
moment by moment experiences of joy with the total absence of pain,
sense of belonging without feeling obligated or a robot,
self value, because we know how and where we contribute,
wonder, at the awesome experience and place we are in,
adventure, seeing everything prepared for us and knowing there is even more!
Home, God’s home.
