When Shannon and I were first married and we'd dream of having our own place he'd ask me what I wanted our place to be like. I'd frustrate him by telling how I wanted it to feel. That's how I think.
When we moved to our current location (which we rent -- which is important to the story) my two oldest kids were concerned. They'd spent most of their growing up years in our Blunt house. Would they ever get to get that "Coming Home" feeling? I reassured them they would. My parents moved twice when I didn't live them. And each time when I went to visit I still felt like I was going home because it was Mom and Dad who made it feel like home, not the house.
(I am pretty sure my two oldest kids have figured that by now. Neither has complained or dreamily thought of the past, and it doesn't matter if the place isn't officially ours. It is home).
It's that feeling. I still get it when I see Mom and Dad. It's that feeling of "I belong," "I'm safe."
And I finally got something as I was looking over our Adult Sunday School Lesson -- something I should have gotten years ago. Read the scripture and quote below:
"I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever." Psalm 23:6
"It is God who is our soul's true home now and forever. This basic truth is the very essense of Psalm 23," writes Juanita Ryan.
Did you get it?
When we get to the point that it feels like coming home when we're with God we've reached a very good place spiritually. We'll yearn to go back there over and over until finally when we get to go to heaven we are face-to-face with Him and will never have to leave. This is why Jesus tells us to "Abide in Me" (John 15:4). That's the best place to be. He told His disciples He'd be seated at the right hand of the Father. When we're with Jesus we're with Father God. He goes onto say, "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Fatherr's commandments, and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full." John 15:10-11
You know what this means?
We can feel at home no matter where we are at. When we rest in God wherever we are we are at home. This sounds incredible to me. So often I go out in public and feel so awkward. I usually just want to go home; but if I would live in that Home place within, the peace within would transcend my human awkwardness.
I'm going to work on this.
Go home. Go home right now. God is waiting.
(And an aside, what if one of your adult children said I am going to live in your house forever with you? If it were me I would groan and very much protest. But that is exactly what God doesn't do. He says, Come home, come home, come home!)