Where Is Home?

 

When I first went to Romania in 1990, Delta Airlines let me take two suitcases of seventy pounds each, plus a carry-on.  There were four of us who went, so we had eight big suitcases.  We rented an Opel Vectra, which was a small sedan with nowhere room for all of the luggage that we had.  We took ropes and S-hooks and strapped three suitcases onto the trunk lid and drove from Frankfurt, Germany to Romania!.  As I was preparing to go, I got out everything that I wanted to take.  It would have filled three suitcases, so I had to cut back.  I removed items and switched items around until I had my stuff down to one suitcase (the other one had tools in it).  But when I went overseas for two weeks, I had everything that I needed to make it … but just barely.  Hey, often we fail to realize that as Christians, we are just pilgrims here on earth.  This world is not our final home, we are here for just a few years and then we pass on to our eternal home - the place where we REALLY belong.  We need to live simply and frugally - just like me living out of my one suitcase.  Oh, there’s nothing wrong with nice things, but honestly, do we really need all of the stuff that we have?  My basement is full; my attic is full; my two extra bedrooms are both full.  Do I really need all of that stuff?  Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”  Put God first and “live out of a suitcase” here on earth.

 

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.

Oh lord you know I have no friend like you,

If heaven's not my home then lord what will I do?

The angels beckon me from heaven's open door

And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.

Are We There Yet?

When my daughter was just a little thing, we would leave Tennessee for the twelve-hour trip to visit Grandma in Maryland, and before we got to the end of the street, she would say, “Are we there yet?  We were two minutes into a twelve-hour trip, and she was already anxious about getting there!  Hey, in the Bible, the Children of Israel were no better.  As they wandered in the Wilderness, they whined to Moses and said in Numbers 20:3&4, “And the people chode (chided) with Moses, and spake, saying, … why have ye brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?”  But before we judge the Children of Israel for their impatience, aren’t we just as guilty?  Our frustrations may be different, but the story line is the same.  We whine about finances.  We worry about relationships.  We chafe at speed limit signs.  Hey, don’t we sound like a little kid saying, “God, are we there yet?”  Can I give us both a bit of advice?  Sit back and let the good Lord be in charge of us and just enjoy the journey of life.  Hey, God’s got this.  Relax.

Lifeguard

 

In 1969 I went to summer school in college to make up some poor grades.  But that’s another story.  I had two classes: American Literature and Sight-singing.  I got an afternoon job at Moccasin Bend Mental Hospital as a lifeguard at their pool.  The patients enjoyed swimming and it calmed them considerably.  Each swimmer had a lifeguard assigned to them … an interesting ratio.  So, I took the Red Cross Swimming and Lifeguard course and learned many interesting things.  We were told never to jump into a pool to save a swimmer unless it was absolutely necessary.  Throw in a life ring and the struggling swimmer will latch onto it, but if you get into the water with a drowning person, they are so desperate to get air that they will climb onto you to get out of the water, and both of you will drown.  The victim has no idea of how to survive … they are frantic in their struggle!  Hey, I’m so glad that God knew how to rescue me from myself!  He sent His perfect Son to take my place on the cross of Calvary.  Jesus took the punishment for sin that I rightly deserved and gave me eternal life instead!  David said in Psalm 138:7, “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.”  Jesus did for me what I could not do for myself: Jesus saved me from my sin and gave me a home in heaven!  What a wonderful gift!  Hey, have you received that gift of salvation?  Have you trusted Jesus as your Savior?  Trust Him now while you have the opportunity.  Don’t wait.

Forgiveness

 

Are you perfect?  No, I didn’t think so.  Relax, neither am I.  But why do we correct our kids and prod and push them as if we wanted them to be perfect?  Do they get the feeling that we think that they should be perfect?  I hope not.  I, for one know that I was not a perfect father, but I was the best father that my four children had.  And they would rather have had an imperfect father who loved them than a perfect father whom they could never live up to.  When I was in physical science in 1963 at Edgewood high school, I came into class one day to see everyone looking exceptionally nice.  Then I felt that sinking feeling that you get when you have forgotten that there was a field trip that day.  Oh yes I did!  But Mr. Archer, God bless his soul, took it all in stride.  We marched down to the secretary’s office and he called my mother and got verbal permission for me to go.  Then he stopped by the teacher’s lounge and bought me an orange crush drink to go with the sack lunch that I brought to school every day.  Mr. Archer paid for the drink out of his own pocket.  Then we got onto the bus and I had a great day visiting Peach Bottom nuclear plant.  Mr. Archer made it no big deal, but to me it was a big deal.  He smoothed over my forgetfulness and made me feel cared for.  And that’s a good feeling.  I know.  Hey, we should be kind and forgiving to others because the day will come when WE need forgiveness and mercy.  Paul said in Ephesians 4:32, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”  Did Jesus Christ forgive you?  Then go and do likewise to your fellow human beings, for we will all need forgiveness sooner or later.