There's no place like home

Home is where the heart is!

There is no place like home!

Home Sweet Home!

There are a million sayings all about "HOME!"

Home seems to be very important to a lot of people. I am one of those people, if Home is not feeling Homey then I become seriously grumpy-pants. It is one thing that throws me off kilter.

The problem is that I actually don't know what Home is. I think that a lot of missionaries, as well as people who move a lot or immigrate, will echo these feelings.

Where is home?

Some will say that Home is where the heart is . . . well my heart is divided, a part of it is born and bred and attached to South Africa. A part of it is attached to Albania, with a decade of it interweaving in my heart. I have friends and family scattered among the nations like the stars are scattered on the sky. . .And of course throw in the desire for heaven . . . Home is not fully where my heart is...

Home is where family is? That again, for me personally, hasn't wrung true. My family has been moving around and away from each other for literally over 2 decades. Siblings moving to study and stay in res, or go to the army, or work in another city or another country, or parents immigrating or myself moving to do missionary work and back again and we are scattered across 3 continents. Plus, at this point I have no yet married and so have no immediate family by me. . . so family alone doesn't make it home.

Neither does deep friendships. .  .in Albania it was a relational culture, often people would drop in unannounced or stop by for a visit. The house was always busy, and I always made sure i was ready for any guest that might show up. Whether it was the locals, or the small tight knit missionary community. On top of that I had usually had flatmates, and on the same property often had other missionary families living there. It was community time 90% of the time. It made it feel warm and homey... Coming back to my home [south africa] one of the first things i started investing in was furniture, decor and crockery etc to not only make my home feel homey and comfortable but to entertain and host . . . but this home isnt about that. its a different culture, a different way of life. Yet it is still home . . . its just not the same level of relating as albania was. . . so does relationship make it home for me....nope no really.

Is it where I accumulate my possessions . . . again for me not true . . . i have reduced my life down to the size on one suitcase on at least 4 occasions, and had to start over and rebuild from scratch . . . and each time, mostly with God's provision life has rebuilt itself materially. . . so i learnt home is not where i have my comforts and possessions, because those things are all transient . . . the come and go very easily.

So truthfully i have no real concept of home. . . just when i think i catch a glimpse of what it might be, it changes again. . . But years ago God showed me a scripture and its something i cling to . . .

Isaiah 32 :17-18 [NIV]

The fruit of that righteousness will be peace;
    its effect will be quietness and confidenceforever.
18 My people will live in peacefuldwelling places,
    in secure homes,
    in undisturbed places of rest.

It's about as real as Home gets, its what i trust in and hope for and know God will bring . . . not just in heaven but also this side of eternity, because His word is true.