Forever Home

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also  John 14:3

The other day my son asked me," Mom is this our forever home?" I have to admit, tears welled in my eyes as I looked over at his earnest face.

I know why he was asking. We have moved several times in the last few years. He has bravely faced three new homes and three new schools in three years. In addition to that he has faced the separation of his family and the beginning of several step families. It has been hard. He has cried and acted out at times. Other times he has faced it with his chin up doing the best he can. I admire his courage and resiliency, as I do all my children. They amaze me!

But here I sit across from him, his eyes looking at me, the questions in them as big as his hope that I will say yes. But I can't...I really wanted to in that moment...but I can't.

So instead I asked him a question. " A forever home sounds really nice doesn't it?"

He nodded. " What do you picture when you think of a forever home?"

Hesitating for a bit he finally answered in a tentative voice ," I think of this house we live in, I think of my family, the people I love and my favourite toys and things."

I loved his answer. It was very wise for a 10 year old, I was really fighting back tears but I had a message I wanted to get across so I pressed on.

" All those things are wonderful. We have learned along the way that as long as the people we love are with us anywhere can be home, haven't we?"

He agreed again. His silence and soft answers were my clue that this was emotional for him as well as me. He wanted me to say we will never move again. How I wanted to say that! However, I have learned not to say things like that to my children. Life is so unpredictable and you can't always promise your kids the things you want to.

" But we do have a forever home son." He looked up at me again. Hope, questions, bewilderment..all flickering across his face. " We have a forever home in Heaven."

Understanding dawned..." Yeah." he said." We do!"

" We have a Father in Heavan who loves us and the bible says he is preparing homes in heaven for us. Where we will never have to leave, where our hearts will be satisfied and our tears and sadness will disappear. That's our forever home. So if you ever feel sad just think about that home. Imagine it as amazing as you can dream of. No broken families there. Just love and peace."

The conversation ended there. We were both silent for awhile and then the conversation moved on to other things, as kids are apt to do. The emotion stayed with me a lot longer than him I am sure.

I have thought of that conversation often. When is the last time I allowed that thought to comfort me? This life is not easy. There is heartache in so many lives. There is hope and joy here too I know, but life is just not easy.

How reassuring to think that God is preparing a home for me in heaven! No tears, no heartache, no laundry, no dishes...sigh. There will be love there, the people we have loved on earth and Jesus himself will be there. He will be our light, our focus. How we will praise him then!

My heart can't help but be excited when I think of it. Whatever your circumstances today I hope that this will give you a moments pause. What a promise we have..." I go to prepare a place for you."

A place for me...A forever home.