"Home"

I drove familiar places,

Roads I used for years,

Brought back a flood of memories,

And now and then a tear.

Stores where I bought groceries,

Places I pumped gas,

Ball fields where my children played,

Yards where I cut grass.

Places that I worked and prayed,

Investments that I made,

Friendships that I made and lost,

And some to this day stayed.

Children and grandchildren,

And one great-grandson, too,

Gifts and meals and laughter,

So glad we got to do.

But strangely there’s the feeling,

That though this once was where,

I thought I would always be,

And not move off somewhere,

Life has its surprises,

A road with twists and turns,

Who knew I’d go to Texas,

I had a lot to learn.

So many went to heaven,

They left from Alabam,

And I thought the same for me,

But not what God had planned.

And home is where the heart is,

My heart is here with you,

And when we go to Texas,

It’s more than there, it’s who.

And ultimately to heaven,

We’ll go there when we die,

For now it’s down at Horseshoe Bend,

But later on the sky.

“…But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland…” (Hebrews 11:16, NLT)

Home, for every believer in Jesus, is not here on earth but in heaven. And whether we’re taking about an earthly or heavenly home, the most important thing is not what is there, but who is there. “Home” is defined by our relationships the people we love and who love us. That’s our family, whether blood kin or not. Heaven is the same. It’s all about being with Jesus forever and all those who have gone before. Home really is where the heart is, and our hearts are with Him, both now and forever.

Lord, help us to stay focused on home, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Glynnis Miller, glynnismillerart.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Glynnis, and God bless you.