The long awaited day

With less than two weeks until I am on a plane home, I have HUGE anticipation of the reunions I will have…especially the first reunion I will have getting off the plane in Kansas City with my family. I just cannot wait to be home, in a place that is familiar to me, a place that I love because the people I love are there. There really is nothing like being home—there is just something about it that I think will make me always long for the comfort of it, even when I know that certain seasons of life call us to move on and I can’t always be there.

And as I have been feeling giddy with excitement about this upcoming homecoming, I have been thinking about why I have this love of home. More than all the reasons above, I think this love is meant to point me to Christ…to remind me of what I was made for. My real home. That my longing for my home on earth is to point me to what I long for most…the home I will have forever. And not because heaven will be easy or because it will be nice to be reunited with relatives, but because I was made to worship Jesus forever.

For these past eight months, I have known this day was coming and carried it around in the back of my mind to get me through the hardest days. Knowing that sooner or later, the day would come when I would return home, and have the comfort of all the home means.

And isn’t that what we’re called to do with this life here on earth? To carry around in the back of our minds the truth that this isn’t forever. That no matter how rough it gets, no matter how much of ourselves we give, no matter how tired and spent we feel, we have something much better to keep us going, the joy set before us. The same joy that motivated Jesus to endure the cross—perfect fellowship with God is what we have set before us. This joy needs to motivate me to keep going, keep pressing on to give myself away for the gospel, no matter how hard it feels in this life…because there is a perfect joy set before me. One I can be giddy with excitement about. One that is made that much more beautiful and complete when we have given our all while waiting for the long-awaited day…

I know my joy will be full in the airport on April 27…

but my joy will not be complete until the day that I see the face of my Jesus. The one who I will follow for life…who I long to recklessly pursue until I meet him face to face. It can motivate me to live the way we are called to live here on this earth...knowing that the best is coming later. And I need His strength to live like that—knowing that I can endure all things for the joy set before me. To be lost and consumed with my glorious King, Jesus, the one I have followed for life.

I love the way Charlie Hall articulates this thought in one of his songs...

"And finally the voice I have followed for LIFE has a glorious face that is lit up with light…”

That is going to be joy beyond compare. Let's live like it.

Praying for your heart to rejoice in the sweet truth that this world is not our home, no matter where we are or what our circumstances, we can look to Jesus with anticipation for that great day...

Love you all!

Kristen