{Day 5}: This Is Not Our Home

Today's word prompt: HOME

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I grew up and lived in the same house for the first 26 years of my life. My childhood memories are all from that place I called home.  Even if I have lived in 3 different houses since after that first home, my dreams would always be of that place.  I could still remember how hard it was to leave that place.  My mom was crying as we gave it our last glance before riding off to our new places.  I say places because I'd be staying in the city in a rented room while she and my sister will be going home in the province.  

Just to ease the pain (and maybe a bit of separation anxiety), I always tell myself that home is where the heart is.  It doesn't matter where, as long as we're together in heart and in each other's thoughts, even if we're miles apart.  It's true, because home is not just a place where we take shelter from the elements, but home is a place of refuge and love.

Don't we all run home when we have problems, even if we've been living independently as adults?  We seek that familiarity of being with the ones we love.  At least I could say that's true for me, being a single person.  I may not have all my problems solved just by going home to my mom, but just being in a place of refuge is enough to ease some of my worries, even when I'm not telling her what troubles me.  In truth, she and the rest of my family is my home.

Yet, even homes are not a very safe refuge.  It's not exactly shielded from the pains that this world brings.  And I am reminded of this beautiful song Blessings by Laura Story.  If you have not played the video above, maybe you'd like to take a few moments to listen to the message of the song.  Aside from the chorus, I love this other part of the song:

When friends betray us

When darkness seems to win

We know that pain reminds this heart

That this is not,

This is not our home

It's not our home

That line really spoke to me.  And there is so much truth in it.  Our earthly home is not our real home. Our hearts are made to crave for the true home to which we will all be coming to someday.  Our home is in eternity with the One who created us.

Someday, we will all come home to our Father.  What real joy it would be! And there will be no more pain, darkness, sufferings... Then we could all say: "At last, I am home."

STOP.

This is Day 5 of the series

31 Days of Free Writes: A Journey of Faith.

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