² There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? ³ When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.     John 14:2,3 NLT

My parents flew home from a week in the Dominican Republic today. It’s got me thinking about coming home. I love going away – I love to travel and to explore and to visit. But every time I do, there comes a point where I long for home. Even if I’m having the most wonderful time. I’ll wake up in the morning, or be having a shower, or something else rather random, and suddenly – I miss home.

Home calls to my heart when I am away.

In the last 10 years, I’ve lived in three different places. And each one became home to me in a short time. There’s something about your own space – even when that space is fairly new-to-you. There’s a comfort that comes with sleeping in your own bed, and being surrounded by the familiar things of your life. You get to know your home’s noises and quirks. I find I rest better at home than anywhere else. When life gets hectic, I long for the comfort of a nap on my couch.

In fact, just saying the word home makes me feel better when I am rushed or weary. When I fly back into Toronto from wherever I have travelled, the moment the plane touches down, I whisper to myself, “home.” And I feel peace.

It is no surprise that ‘home’ has become a metaphor for Heaven. There’s an old spiritual called “Oh, Freedom” that speaks of going “home to be with my Lord.” This idea comes from what Jesus says to the disciples in the Gospel According to John. He tells them that he is going to prepare a place for them, and that he will return to bring them there, so that they will be with him. Heaven becomes the place where all of our fears and worries are shed, all of our tears have dried up, and we are home with Jesus.

This Lent, may you know the peace of trusting that Jesus has gone to prepare a place for you. That, putting your trust in him, your ultimate destination will be a home that surpasses any place you ever longed for on Earth.