“Heaven is my home. I’m just traveling through this world.” (Billy Graham Quote)
It does not matter how old our children may be when they go out, whether it be for education, entertainment, or just escapement from that feeling of being bored at home. In any case, we find ourselves looking and listening for signs that they have come safely home.
This looking and listening does not stop when children have reached the chronological age where they are truly grown or even when they have passed that milestone for a decade or more. It does not matter if they live at our places of residence and are really out on their own. We still find ourselves looking and listening for signs that they have come safely home.
If they live at our house and we have settled down in our beds, we listen for the garage door to open, listen for the sound of blaring contemporary music emanating from the car radio approaching the driveway, listen for the sound of the refrigerator being open and closed as the child looks for something to satisfy their thirst or appetite, and we listen for footsteps trying unsuccessfully to go up or down the stairs that acts as our partner by not relinquishing the creaking sounds made by even the child’s lightest steps. The steps act as a good, reliable partner. If they live on their own in their adult years, we look for a text that informs us that they have made it home safely or we listen for our phones to ring so they can confirm that we safe and sound.
But you want to know what signs that we look and listen for most in regard to our children coming home? We look and listen, or at least we should be, for the day that they confess Christ and thus we are sure that no matter what takes place, they will come safely home, and we will see them “in the morning.” Yes, we look to hear that they have made heaven their home by confessing Jesus as their Savior and Lord. That is the ultimate “coming home” that gives us a sense of peace. Even if they are like the prodigal son who has wandered from home, our happiness exalts with joy, when they return, because they will experience the love of our heavenly Father, a prodigal Himself, being rich in mercy.
There is nothing we can do but wait in regard to seeing or hearing the signs of our children coming to their earthly home. But there is something we can do to make sure that they arrive safely at our heavenly home. What can we do? We can be evangelists in our own families! We can be His witnesses in our homes and interaction with our children. We can let our light shine, regardless of the time of day, morning, noon day, or night.
My friend, there is nothing wrong about looking and listening for our children to arrive safely at their earthly domains. Also, there is everything right about looking and listening for signs that our children, again regardless of age, have been saved, set apart, and have set their eyes on our heavenly home, in the Father’s house. Let’s work on it! Oh, tomorrow is Sunday, make it to church, and…and remind your child that this is the time that that the saints of God come together. You know, the assembly of the saints. Have a super Saturday! Be blessed!
“For we know that if our earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made by hands, eternal in the heavens.” (2 Corinthians 5:1 NASB)
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King
Amen! Let’s work on it. Witnessing to family takes courage. Thanks for the message.
True! But we can be courageous because we always have Help. We are disappointed when out witnessing does not produce the desired result, but we must stay vigilant, resilient, and persistent. Be blessed, June!