July 28 - 2 Corinthians 5:1-2

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling … 

After a particularly stressful day, Mom and I were driving somewhere and we passed a cemetery. As most of them are, it was beautiful and well-kept. There were old trees whose leaves shimmered in the breeze and the sunlight danced off the gravestones.

I was exhausted. In the early days of Insty-Prints, we worked hideous hours.  Most weeks I stayed at work on Thursday nights, printing until about four in the morning, then I would drop to sleep on the floor in the back room until Carol and Mom showed up at eight o’clock to open the shop for the day. I’d never known such physical exhaustion and until we finally hired someone else to run the presses, utter exhaustion was going to be my life.

So, as we passed that beautiful and peaceful cemetery, I simply mused, “That place looks wonderful. I could use some of that.”

I don’t think I even realized that I had said it out loud, but Mom heard me and said, “What? You don’t mean that!”

No, that wasn't at all what I meant. I was simply reacting to the peaceful calm and serenity of the place.

But, I often thought of that afterwards. When things were stressful in my life, I knew that there was a place of perfect peace. That place would be very different than the insanity I faced each day.

I also realized that what God wanted us to know about heaven was that we would be comfortable there, like we are comfortable in our own homes.  He doesn't call it a wayside inn or a hotel. It’s not just his home … his temple … his palace.  It is our home. We will recognize everything within it just as we recognize the furniture and paintings and knick-knacks of our own home.

When this home isn't enough … we have the promise of a heavenly home that will always be a haven for us, a place of safety, a place of comfort and peace.

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