Are we Home or Guest?

I sat on the firm wooden bleacher, wrapped up in my winter coat. Listening and watching the shuffle of the feet of 9 year old boys hustling down the basketball court and the rhythmic beat of the basketball, I snuggled in with my children and watched the game. It was an indoor game but in the northern states, early morning basketball games still mean wearing your winter coat while the cold gym warms up for another day of activity. It's cold.

The red letters on the score board jumped out from against the drab background. "Home 15, Guest 16."

"Are we home or guest, mom?" one of my daughters asked. We were Home.

Her question did get me thinking. How do we live? As if we are Home or Guest? In times of prosperity or times of trial, where do we claim our home to be? God's Word tells us that this is not our home. We are guests. Heaven is our home.

Now, basketball can be challenging (especially when you are 9 years old), but life can be really hard (regardless of your age, 9 or 90.) Life, like a basketball game, has its high times (like making a basket), its mundane times (like shuffling up and down the court) and its low times (like fouling or being fouled, or even being put out of the game). Sometimes it feels like in this place we are down by one point (or more), more frequently, than not. We need to remember, though, that we are guests. But life is not a game; life is fragile and requires a great amount of long-suffering and faith, to name a few things.

Jesus provides us comfort, though. He says in John 14, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going" (verses 1-4).

Jesus is the way and He tells us that in being so, He also goes before us and prepares a place for us. He will come back some day and take us to that beautiful place, where we will live in our heavenly home, with Him, forever. We are guests here, traveling on the paths that God has asked us to walk on. We struggle, but sing; hurt, but hope; trial, but trust.

This gives me great encouragement tonite to look toward a special place that Jesus has prepared just for me; just for you. Dear reader, take heart, do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God. Trust in Jesus.