This past week, my son was home from Phoenix for his Thanksgiving break from college. He still calls Spokane “home,” but the reality is that for two-thirds of the year, Phoenix is now home (I can’t believe I’m admitting that). They (whomever “they” are) say that “home is where the heart is,” and there is certainly much truth to that. My heart is always with my son; when he’s not home, my heart hurts.

 

Robert Frost wrote, “Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.” Although my boy is definitely not homesick when he’s in Phoenix, as he suffers through the still-hot weather and swimming pools on campus, it’s also true that he enjoys coming back to Spokane and seeing his girlfriend and his family (yes, sadly, in that order). So, for now, I will revise what Mr. Frost wrote and put it this way: “Home is the place where, when you want to go there, they want to take you in.” I pray these words will always be true, for my son, for me, and for his mom.

 

Of course, these thoughts lead me to consider the fact that this world is not my home. As God’s Word assures us, “This world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come” (Hebrews 13:4, NLT). And surely some of you remember the old song:

 

This world is not my home I’m just a passing through

My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue

The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door

And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore

 

I hope my son always feels like our home is his home, no matter where he lives. I will say, “Welcome home” whenever he walks through my door. And I hope I always feel like my heavenly home is my real home, no matter how much I might be tempted to hold on to the things of this world. I know that Jesus will say, “Welcome home” when I walk through heaven’s open door.

 

When I finally reach my heavenly home, I imagine it will be much as it’s described by one of my favorite preachers and writers, Brian Jones: “Jesus will smile, hold out His arms, and suddenly all the pain and suffering you’ve endured in this life will be lost in His grasp as He utters the words you’ve been longing to hear: ‘Welcome home. Welcome home.’”

 

Troy Burns