Home's Not Here

In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? John 14:2

I keep telling this to my daughters.

After going abroad, moving out of from the Philippines, we tell them we can come back anytime for a good reason. As immigrants to a foreign country, we still see the place where we live and have a good livelihood as not home. There's an itch to come back. There's a seed inside the heart which keeps on growing and yearn to plant one's feet again to the native soil. We may have a house or a residence yet we look at it as a temporary dwelling. Maybe, that's why we haven't let go of our home back in our nation. We still put our time to safeguard our haven through our limited finances and through relatives and friends who are willing to look after our abode. For anytime, for any reason, we will come back for home's not here.

Jesus keeps telling us this.

There is a dwelling place prepared for us in the Father's house. The kind of dwelling place prepared by him who has no civil engineering or architecture academics or experience but has love for you. Everything else we live with here on earth is temporary. Nothing is permanent. It can be constructed or destructed in any given time. The place he prepared for us is different. It's the Father's house. A home where you can be a child and depend only in him. A home where you will reside ever after.

In this light, Jesus as he prepared a home for us, invites us to look beyond this earthly life. To say words, think thoughts and do acts giving weight to the promise of that place. Everything we do or say or think has eternal consequence. Live for him and look forward living with him in that place he has for us.

Right now, you might have a big mansion or a small hut. A cozy place or an uncomfortable space for your family where you spend most of your time. Remember, this address is temporary. You won't live here for so long, for home's not here.