Home. {Lessons from the trail}

Ahhh… yes! It is 8:23pm Wednesday night and I just now slid into my bed, my own bed, and leaned back into the familiar pillow, the familiar scent, the soft feel of home.

Home. There’s no place like it.

On the 12+ hour drive from Salt Lake City, Utah to Portland, Oregon, there is one spot that always makes me almost giddy with excitement:

The first glimpse of the Columbia River. It comes as Highway 84 winds around a curve and down over the top of a hill, and there it is: glistening, wide, always larger than I remember. Even though there are still 4-5 hours until we pull into our driveway, it is always the Columbia River that brings a smile to my face and makes me feel I’m finally home.

As I read Pioneer stories, they had the same feeling. Young Laura tells of the Blue Mountain pass, the grueling last leg of the journey, and the crazy-excitement they felt when they finally reached the Columbia river. Ahh… yes! 

Although the pioneers were “home,” their real work began. They didn’t arrive to already built homes or established farms. They arrived to … bare land. They had to hurry to build homes before winter, hurry to clear land and begin farming. Hurry to gather enough supplies to carry them through the cold months ahead.  But even though there was work to do, they had reached their final destination. They were home.

There is no greater feeling.

Coming home last night felt like that for me. Sure, there is a pile of laundry, and the car is full of crumbs and french fries fallen between the seats. The fridge is empty and the dishwasher full. But … we are home. There is just no greater feeling, in my opinion, than coming home to the place I was meant to be. With my littles and my man, all under one roof, snuggled down in our beds. Home.

The long journey makes home just that much sweeter. 

But even though home is my favorite place in the world, it isn’t without its struggles. The kids were extra tired and so was I, and I snapped at Heidi when she wanted to play longer in the bath. I gave Jeff a “look” when he let them read books longer than I wanted. One of my potted plants had died. When the kids needed a snack I stared at the empty refrigerator and told them to go to sleep.

Even in the midst of blissful homecoming moments we still have our moments.

But do you know we have such a greater Home waiting for us? There are times I catch glimpses of what it will be like. When I walk through my home and can’t help but smile and know that I was created to love these kids, this man, to make this home and do this life. That’s home. When I slide into this bed and just bury my face into my familiar pillow and inhale this life. That’s home. But I am still fallen and so these glorious glimpses of home are still tainted by my sin.

But someday, oh friends, it will be so glorious when we go home! We will not be tainted by sin, by fatigue. We’ll never lose our temper or give our husband that look. We’ll never feel hungry or tired. We’ll never be behind in our chores or discouraged by all that needs to be done. It will be here sooner than we realize.

Heaven is closer than we think.

On our drive home yesterday, we (my parents with us too)  listened to the entire book of Crazy Love by Francis Chan on audio book and had a little revival right there in the car. His chapter, “You might not make it to the end of this chapter” reinforces this idea. We have no idea how long we have until we arrive at Home. And it will be more glorious than any Oregon territory. It was be a fullness of joy we cannot even imagine. We are wise to live every single day in light of eternity.

But are we living in an age when Christians, for the most part, do not often think of their true Home. CS Lewis said it like this:

“If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next… It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at Heaven and you will get earth ‘thrown in’: aim at earth and you will get neither (p. 134).” Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

How often do we think about our true Home? How often do we prepare for it? Live for it? Do we really live in such a way that testifies to the fact that this world is not our home? Do we really believe that in just about 1 second all that we have will be gone, except for those dear souls who know and love Jesus as we do?

As we finished our final–long–leg of our 8-day roadtrip journey, I must admit, my mind was fixed on home. 

Where is our mind fixed? Could it be that we’d be the most effective at doing good in this world if our focus was fixed on the next? 

As we finish these Lessons from the Trail, that is my final takeaway. To live with the end in mind. To look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. To know that our momentary troubles are working for us an eternal weight of glory. To quit fretting and fiddling with momentary concerns when forever looms and this world so desperately needs His love.

It’s a long journey, and a grueling one at that, but the end is so glorious. Amen? It’s been a joy to travel with you, and thanks so much for sticking with me along this trip. I’m so grateful for traveling partners like you.  Thanks.