What is this urge we parents/women have to make all around us comfortable? I can look back at countless times in my life where making a "home" cozy & welcoming was my #1 priority. Norm & I have moved 7 times (yikes!) since we're married & worked hard on each every one of them to make them feel like home. No matter the size of the space, we had that need/urge to make it inviting, welcoming...home. The most vivid memory of creating coziness, of course, happened while preparing for the birth of my 2 children. Little creatures that knew nothing of this world or their surroundings, we were convinced needed a lovely & safe space of their own. I can remember being 6-7 months pregnant with my first and painting & papering the nursery. Back then we didn't realize that painting was a big "no-no" for a pregnant mom! Nonetheless, we brought that little bundle of joy into its carefully prepared nest, and all was right with the world! With my second, it was exactly the same. Living in a different home, we worked diligently on preparing a safe, cozy & quiet place for her to exist. I'm sure she would not have been upset by walls whose colors weren't "baby appropriate" or if she had to use a comforter set that belonged to her older brother. But as her dutiful & loving parents, we worked at creating what we deemed to be just the right space for her.
And on & on it goes.... Even now, as my children, both of whom go to school away from home, made plans to come home for the summer, we got to work preparing places of comfort & privacy for them. Since they're young adults used to living away from mom & dad, we wanted to be sure to give them each a space to unwind after work, or just settle in for a long phone conversation uninterrupted by the rest of the family. We love our children & are blessed beyond measure to have them both here for 2 whole precious months! We cleaned, reorganized, built closet shelving, new bedding, etc. all in anticipation of their arrival. After all, they are my children & I want to be able to give them the best I can offer. I want them to feel "at home", welcome.
I heard an amazing sermon this weekend about eternity. The gist of it was the idea of "coming home". It was expressed like this, "life here on earth is like living in a hotel, eternity is being home". It really struck me. The point was, the hotel offered shelter, comfort, food, etc. Why, then does it not feel like home? That longing that is inside all of us for home, is described as not just a destination, but a desire to be where we belong. In our small way, we prepared for the homecoming of our children. Would God do anything less? I can only imagine the homecoming that awaits us with Christ. I envision our Heavenly Father waiting with open arms to welcome us, just as I do each time my son's plane lands or I pull up in front of my daughter's dorm. What's so amazing is that it is me who is eager with anticipation! We think of eternity with our Lord & with each other, but do we actually consider that He is eagerly awaiting our arrival? That he is excited to see us, to put His arms around us, show us the lovely place that has been prepared for us? Its hard to imagine the God of the Universe being that intimate with each of us, but that is His desire.
My time with my children will be wonderful this summer, but I already know it will go way too fast. Someday, we won't have to say good-bye to each other. Someday we will be home. For all eternity. And in the immortal words of the ever-wise Dorothy, "there's no place like home".
