As I sit down to write this, I am on my way back from a much-awaited and much-loved vacation in India. Five weeks of sunshine, food, family and friends has sadly come to an end. I move back to the serenity and quietness of Canada from the mayhem and colourful chaos that India can be. It's back to polite conversations about the weather as opposed to random strangers prying about when you should have kids.
My 15-hour flight back gave me plenty of time to not just brood over missing India but it also brought to memory the few weeks leading to our vacation. Booking tickets, counting down days to our trip, shopping, listing where and what we want to eat and taking all sorts of pills to fight any sort of stomach bug. More than that, I recollect the mixed feelings of joy and anticipation over going back home. I would imagine what it would be like when I saw my mom and my newborn nephew and would replay it over and over in my head.
While we prepared to leave, there were grander preparations underway at my home in India. Mom was stocking up on fish, mutton, and other delicacies for her beloved daughter and son-in-law. In fact, mom specifically instructed us not to pull a surprise visit since she wanted to be well-prepared when we arrived. Well, we surprised her anyways! My family's expression was priceless and the joy that we felt was beyond anything I had ever imagined. The hugs, kisses and teasing comments -- I was home!
With all this on my mind, I can't help but draw a parallel to our journey towards our eternal home! Our life on Earth, whether it be 30, 60 or 90 years, is an ongoing preparation for that eternal home. Just how packing and planning for a trip may be tedious, so can our preparation for eternity. It pushes us to fix our eyes on what's ahead, it means having to forsake things of now for what's eternal, and it involves intentionally moving towards Christ-likeness everyday -- all this and more because of the hope we have that we will be home someday -- reunited with the Father.
Sure enough, as life, circumstances and people get to us, in our weak and mortal flesh we may not always be brimming with the excitement about going to our eternal home, however, since the beginning of time itself our Father has been in constant preparation to gather His children to Him! Just imagine how intricately God has been at work -- the covenant, prophecies, Christ, the church -- all working together through generations for this grand purpose. He wants us home!
I cannot begin to wrap my head around how gloriously His plans have been at work. Nor can I imagine what a reunion it would when we meet with Him -- to see Him in all His glory, where our longings come to an end and we celebrate as one family for eternity.
Christmas is a season of Hope. If any of you find yourself caught in constant despair or even plain monotony of the mundane, bring this to memory:
"When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart
Then sings my soul . . . "
Happy Holidays!
Photo Credit: Unsplash
[…] that scene too). To focus, more than before, on our ‘going home’ as you read in a recent post (by Gesly Susan), yet keeping an eye on the rear view mirror. Though I love to celebrate Christ’s […]