Friday, April 22, 2011

Good Friday Reflections about Home.

I enjoy my home. I enjoy returning to my home after a trip. Yes, I like the trip, seeing new things, meeting new people but there remains that overwhelming feeling of contentment when I set my bags down on my return.

The recent trip to missionary retreat, a night on LaGonave [home for 2 years as a child and 9 as an adult] followed by over 8 hours of travel ended with the big sigh...I'm home. Now a few things I'd change about my house given the chance. And I occasionally point out something that I'd like to have in my heavenly mansion but the Lord already knows.

He made me therefore I never doubt that my 'mansion' will feel like coming home. Thankfully I grew up in a loving home and returning for visits, for those hugs is a positive trip. But those feelings of belonging will be magnified amazingly when I get to heaven. My heavenly father knows everything about me-my favorite colors will be there, the songs and music that pluck my heartstrings will flow through my home. The kitchen will be full of foods to met my specific tastes like nothing on this earth can do. The location, temperature, weather and view will be perfect!

He lived there. My Lord and Savior left that perfection to live in a world full of sin, hate and suffering become a humble man....for me. He suffered great agony of body and the humiliation of being mocked, degraded and denied. He took MY sins because of His great love for me knowing all this in advance, knowing that He could get out of it at any millisecond..and knowing that my sins would separate Him from God.

No I don't understand how that could be- the separating of Jesus from God while being the 3-in-1. I cannot understand even a small fraction of what that experience was to the Lord.

But I know He loves me-yesterday, today and forever. I know despite the celebrations of His death that will occur today in our community by those who don't know Him but serve Satan--that Jesus rose from the dead to give me live. I know despite the evil, natural disasters, and suffering in this world that God is good. I know..

[if you were questioning the picture. Yes that is me when we lived in Haiti]

3 comments:

Herd of Cowarts said...

Beautiful words. Thank you for sharing. It is a true comfort to know "Home" isn't it?!

Edd Russell said...

I lose track of where "home" is--I have not lived anywhere near where I grew up for a long time. Last year my in-laws moved off the farm where they have lived since the 60s. Now we're in Bangkok--"home" for a year during language school. So tomorrow we go "home" to Bangkok after a weekend away.

I normally say, "home is where my sweetheart is." Maybe home is just a place where I am not living out of a suitcase.

But, really, home is where God wants me. It's location may change, but His Presence is constant.

The Bronkema Family... said...

AMEN!
Looking forward to that eternal home as well! Thank you for the sacrifice you are making on this earth.