Thank you, God, for home.
Today’s gratitude entry is a little late (Sundays are sometimes busy). This may not be a typical entry because it plays off the Playlist Devotional put out by the United Methodist Church (found at the bottom of today's post).
There is something special about home. I feel like I miss that from time to time. I have lived in seven different places—plus a couple more for college—since leaving the place where I grew up (seven plus places in 22 years). Each one of those places eventually felt a bit like home, except for my college residences. Really, up until a couple of years ago, when I would journey to my hometown, where my parents still live, I felt the draw of familiarity with it. Home has just become a different concept for me.
I appreciate the short devotional at the end. It extends or roots the concept of home in God’s presence. God can be our home; God should, in many ways, be our home. God can ground us in His security. And in some ways, I have lived this truth without being able to put it into words. At times, I would describe myself as not having much of a comfort zone. I feel generally safe and comfortable, able to do things, go places, and adapt to the circumstances around me wherever I find myself. This has extended to mission trips in Mexico and Liberia, trips to Israel and England, as well as many places in Illinois and the occasional vacation.
Would I describe any of this as home? Well, not yet. This is a new concept to me—understanding that wherever I go, God has been before me, God goes with me, and God will remain long after I am gone. It is a truth I have known for a while about the presence of God, but concepts are often just ideas. I hope God will help me live this one out.
This isn’t just about the places we call home, though. There are many people who have a home yet still feel alone, abandoned, like they just don’t fit, or have drifted far from the path that God calls them to. Maybe you have felt that. Maybe we can all work together to begin understanding that we aren’t alone—God dwells in our lonely spaces. A part of this is crafting community where we are—lifting one another up, checking in on one another, and treating our neighbors like neighbors.
It is sad to think that in some of the places I have lived, I have been approached and told, “Pastor, I am praying for you. I have lived here for over 20 years, and I still feel like an outsider.” This is a heartbreaking but true reality in many of our towns.
I think that’s part of why I am writing and sharing these snapshots of gratitude. It’s to encourage thought and conversation. In thinking and sharing, we will begin to see that we, too, have something to contribute—that we have something to say about God, about being a neighbor, about being a person, about figuring things out. We are in this together.
Where is God helping you feel at home in the midst of the wilderness that life can be?
Playlist Devotional from UMC
To what do you cling? Psalm 63 invites us to reflect on where we find security and sustenance when we are desperate, disillusioned, or in danger. Yes, we need food, water, and shelter. Yes, we need community that protects us when we feel threatened and alone. Yet underneath these basic needs is something even more necessary: God. As you listen to U2’s “Light of Home,” consider: “When you are surrounded by chaos and turmoil, how do you find security, confidence, and home in God?”
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