In search of Home

Christmas break was a delicious time spent at Home. Michigan-Home where I grew up and lived out most of my life. I love being in that cozy house, the padded floors, the steep stairs. I love being with my family... always playing games, eating tons of Hungarian sweets, and having meaningful, deep conversations.

But over and over I had to guard myself from calling Warsaw "home." Whenever my tongue would slip, there was an awkward silence, a glance around the room. Then everyone would kind of chime in... "you mean... Indiana..." By the end, it kind of became a joke, and even my mom accidentally called Warsaw "home."

I know I've had a fair number of posts about this concept of Home, but it's probably because it is one that is frequently on my mind. I frequently refer to different places as Home, and happen to irritate or hurt people who don't see it the same way.

In some ways, it's like introducing one best friend to another best friend. They both share my heart equally, but they play very different roles (which begs the question.... do I really have a best friend? So we move on.) So it is with Home.

I have experienced much frustration at trying to define these things. I've always thought that one day when I have my own home and my own family, that's when home will be Home. But let's face it. It won't be. It will carry the name. But Michigan-Home will still be part of my heart. So will Hungary-Home, Indiana-Home, Switzerland-Home and all other Homes in between.

Today I happened across a verse that talked about God blessing and protecting the sojourner (Ps. 146:9). Above it, I had scrawled a cross reference to Hebrews 11:13-16. So I flipped forward searching eagerly for more about these wanderers. This comes in the middle of what we call "The Hall of Faith" where the author of Hebrews lists off heroes of the Bible and how their faith saved them... not because they never messed up, but because their hearts believed the Lord and His promises, and Grace was given to them.

These words spoke truth to my wander-filled heart: "These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.... they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city."

I love this.

Because these people, these Heroes: Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob... they didn't cling too tightly to their homes. In fact, when God told them to GO, they did... without hesitation. They didn't even know WHERE they were going! They just went. And God didn't just give them a place to go, He gave them an eternal home.

Because they were content to wander, to be ready to move when God told them to move, because they desired a heavenly country more than storing up places on earth, the Lord, God of the Universe, wasn't ashamed to be their God. Wow.

I haven't moved nearly as much as some people. But my heart attaches to homes. My heart wants a Home. While I like the idea of short-term wanderings and getting lost, my heart longs for permanence.

How good it is to know that there is permanence, even for the wanderer, if He wanders for the Lord!