To Live is Christ — longing for home

Vacations remind me that I don’t slow down very much. When I am at home, I get too busy to reflect, too busy to get out into the beauty of God’s creation. I seldom stop and just enjoy the variety of people, places, and things in the world. My sometimes hectic routine blurs how many other things there are to do and see, and how much happens outside my doors, both good and bad. It is good to ‘get away from it all’ and experience other things.

We are vacationing in a scenic part of the world with tall trees, mountains, rivers and lakes. The people around us are friendly. There is time to rest and daydream. We are not watching television or reading newspapers, so our awareness of world events is minimal. This is refreshing as well.

However, my husband and I talked about boredom this evening over supper. This is Day Three of ten days away and we have already done what we wanted to do. We both laughed that we feel a little bit like going home. Perhaps this relates to being so non-involved in life while on vacation, feeling useless because we’re not doing anything useful. Loafing has value, but self-indulgence gets boring — quickly.

Besides that, we wondered if we are bored. Boredom happens when people do not live up to their full potential, but who wants to be bored on a vacation?

We also wondered if this sense of wanting to “go home” really isn’t about home, at least the place where we normally live? When I read the verses for today in my devotional guide, I can see that our longing could be confused with a different kind of homesickness. 

On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine— the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The Lord has spoken. (Isaiah 25:6–8)

This has great appeal. Imagine, eating the richest of food in a place where none of it will go to waist? This means no more ordering appetizers for our meals, or asking for one item from the menu and two plates! We can eat as much dessert as we want — chocolate cake to the max!

Imagine having the shroud of death, and the fear of death removed forever? Since our bodies will not be aging, we will not get tired. Heaven is our eternal rest, so no more work and my to-do list will fade from memory. Yet still I have a feeling that I will not be sitting with my feet up, because I’ll finally be able to live to my full potential. Heaven means no aging, no boredom, no death, but richness of life.

There is more. The Lord says that all tears will be wiped from all faces. What makes me cry? Sorrow, grief, shame, yearning, being distressed or embarrassed? He says that He will remove the disgrace of His people from all the earth. Not only that, all self-indulgence (which causes some of those things) will be gone too. No more tears.

I cannot fully imagine heaven. It could be similar to a vacation, but far better. No wonder the people of God have a longing in our hearts for this place described as being on a mountain with God.

For now, we have to settle for vacations. I’ll likely feel more interesting in sightseeing and doing holiday things tomorrow. We can look at the mountains, and enjoy good food here. In a few days we will head home and go back to the routine of normal life. After a few weeks or months of that, I’ll again look forward to a vacation.

Yet I know that no matter how good it gets here, and no matter how wonderful the vacation, that yearning for heaven will remain. Someday, we will feast on that mountain with God. He will give me the best of everything, yet it will be to His glory, without self-indulgence. He will take away the sorrows of life and wipe away all my tears, removing all disgrace and perplexities of this life. Then I will be truly and finally — home.