This is NOT our Home
As I write this I am sitting in an empty house. In fact, I am sitting on the floor of what has been my study for almost eight years. The house has been purchased, all the furniture has been moved out, and it has been cleaned. This has been our home for almost eight years. But, this is not our home anymore.
We have loved this home. We have loved this neighborhood. We have loved this community. We have loved our church family. This has been our home for almost eight years. But this is not our home anymore.
We have shared this home with friends, we have shared this home with family, and we have shared this home with strangers. (Some stranger than others.) We have invited youth groups into our home. We have had Bible studies. We have had tearful prayers sessions. We have called this house our home for almost eight years. But this is not our home anymore.
Our daughter went on her first date from this home, and she has entertained other young men in this home. We have sat around the dinner table for hours upon hours, long after the meals had ended sharing stories of the day, events in our lives, dreams, disappointments, struggles and victories. We have eaten a lot of good meals in this home. Many of the meal were around the table, many in front of the television, and some on the deck. For eight years we have called this our home, but this is not our home anymore.
We have experienced great joys in this home and we have experience some of our deepest pain in this home. We have literally seen "Fire and Rain" in this home. We have seen it almost destroyed and we have watched it rise from the ashes. This has been a wonderful home. But this is not our home any more.
I have written articles in this home... in this very room... almost eight years of articles. I have written sermons, I have read books, I have taken naps, and I have sat for hours looking out the window daydreaming. This has been a great home. But this is not our home anymore.
As I conclude this article from this home tears are running down my face because I have loved this home, and I hate to leave it. But, Lord willing, we will find a new home soon. And we will share it just as we have this one. We will laugh in it. We will cry in it. We will entertain friends and family, pray, study the Bible, I will write more articles, more sermons, read more books, eat more meals, and take more naps. We will perhaps even hold grandbabies in the new home. We will love it like we have this one. But, it will not be our home either.
One day, we will go to our new home, the one Jesus left the earth to prepare for us. This house, and this body will not matter. Both will pass away. God will greet us and we will experience home like we have never known. I am so ready for that day! For I am tired of saying goodbye to homes, neighbors, friends, and family, I'm ready to be home, for I know that this is not my home.
God tells that one day we will be in a place where, "There will be no more death, sadness, crying, or pain, because all the old ways are gone." (Revelation 21:4, NCV) We will finally be home because this is not our home.
Tom Norvell
As I write this I am sitting in an empty house. In fact, I am sitting on the floor of what has been my study for almost eight years. The house has been purchased, all the furniture has been moved out, and it has been cleaned. This has been our home for almost eight years. But, this is not our home anymore.
We have loved this home. We have loved this neighborhood. We have loved this community. We have loved our church family. This has been our home for almost eight years. But this is not our home anymore.
We have shared this home with friends, we have shared this home with family, and we have shared this home with strangers. (Some stranger than others.) We have invited youth groups into our home. We have had Bible studies. We have had tearful prayers sessions. We have called this house our home for almost eight years. But this is not our home anymore.
Our daughter went on her first date from this home, and she has entertained other young men in this home. We have sat around the dinner table for hours upon hours, long after the meals had ended sharing stories of the day, events in our lives, dreams, disappointments, struggles and victories. We have eaten a lot of good meals in this home. Many of the meal were around the table, many in front of the television, and some on the deck. For eight years we have called this our home, but this is not our home anymore.
We have experienced great joys in this home and we have experience some of our deepest pain in this home. We have literally seen "Fire and Rain" in this home. We have seen it almost destroyed and we have watched it rise from the ashes. This has been a wonderful home. But this is not our home any more.
I have written articles in this home... in this very room... almost eight years of articles. I have written sermons, I have read books, I have taken naps, and I have sat for hours looking out the window daydreaming. This has been a great home. But this is not our home anymore.
As I conclude this article from this home tears are running down my face because I have loved this home, and I hate to leave it. But, Lord willing, we will find a new home soon. And we will share it just as we have this one. We will laugh in it. We will cry in it. We will entertain friends and family, pray, study the Bible, I will write more articles, more sermons, read more books, eat more meals, and take more naps. We will perhaps even hold grandbabies in the new home. We will love it like we have this one. But, it will not be our home either.
One day, we will go to our new home, the one Jesus left the earth to prepare for us. This house, and this body will not matter. Both will pass away. God will greet us and we will experience home like we have never known. I am so ready for that day! For I am tired of saying goodbye to homes, neighbors, friends, and family, I'm ready to be home, for I know that this is not my home.
God tells that one day we will be in a place where, "There will be no more death, sadness, crying, or pain, because all the old ways are gone." (Revelation 21:4, NCV) We will finally be home because this is not our home.
Tom Norvell
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