This world is not my home. I am just a passing through.
I am a homebody at heart. Most happy when settled in my cozy home and surrounded by my sweet family. But moving back to Japan after a year of home assignment means saying goodbye to those few and precious days together. It means transition and unknown. It means grieving the loss of a place we've made, even for just a season. It means pulling up roots and looking for fertile soil to start planting again. It means the messiness of not being able to find daily items in my overpacked suitcase, where toothbrushes and medicine are tucked in winter coats and boots. It means convenience store food on the go. And food staples tossed 2 weeks ago just to be bought again on the other side of the sea. It means loss and tiredness strangely mixed with anticipation and purposefulness.
I've realized this is just another opportunity to remember that my home is not here. It's not in my American hometown that I left where red, white and blue flags flutter in the sunny sky as I sip on a last milkshake treat, saying goodbye to cherished family and hospitable friends.
And it's not in Japan either, where missionary colleagues graciously meet us at the airport with genuine gladness for help in shouldering the work load as we are welcomed into the land of serious and polite, where we look around in the blur of jet lag and dejavu, and wonder if the last year even happened as it already seems so far removed.
I remember that my home is in heaven. Somehow Jesus, in all his aching-heart-humanity knew that and daily lived it out. His feet were planted here but His head and heart were there. Patiently enduring tough days on earth, while looking forward to His true home in heaven. Jesus lived with backpack and trekking sandals on and passport in hand; ready to obediently, sacrificially and joyfully be anywhere God wanted. A life of transition. A life of service.
So this morning, my prayer is for God to use these unsettled, living-out-of-a-suitcase days to grow my heart to respond as Jesus did. To tune my heart to the hymn of heaven and to gladly sing:
Every prayer we prayed in desperation
The songs of faith we sang through doubt and fear
In the end we'll see that is was worth it
When He returns to wipe away our tears
There will be a day when all will bow before Him
There will be a day when death will be no more
Standing face to face with He who died and rose again
Holy holy is the Lord
So let it be today we shout the hymn of heaven
With angels and the Saints we raise a mighty roar
Glory to our God who gave us life beyond the grave
Holy holy is the Lord
