Our family arrived at our new house in Oklahoma this past Monday. After three days of travel and two nights in a hotel our 26 foot U-Haul and minivan backed into our new driveway. As I got out of our van I told the kids, “We are home!” There was excitement and curiosity as the children investigated this new space we will call home.
As I have thought about home, I have been reminded of wisdom from a dear friend of ours. She and her husband have been missionaries in difficult locations and have recently had to uproot and return to the States. Before our family moved she said something that I will never forget. “Nowhere on earth is home, but we can be at home anywhere.”
I recently preached in 1 Peter where believers are called “elect exiles.” Peter makes the point that believers in Jesus are sojourners and resident aliens. Since our citizenship is in heaven, where Christ is, we are not at home on this earth. No matter where we settle, we are not Home, yet.
So, I would like to rephrase what I told my family. Rather than saying, “We are home,” I would say, “This is where we will stop for a while on the way Home. We will be at home here, but we are not home, yet.”
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