(2 minutes, 30 seconds)

Hebrews 13:14, Philippians 3:20, and John 14:2 say:

Here, we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Our ultimate citizenship is not here; it is in heaven.
Our Father’s house (in the lasting city where our citizenship is) has many rooms. This place is being prepared for us, and the One, Jesus, who is preparing our place, will come for us himself and will take us to be with him there

I have lost track of how many cities I’ve called home. In less than two weeks, yet another city will be “home” for me.
Our nomadic manner of living these past 30 years has made me feel like a vagabonding pilgrim. Even if, unlike me, you still live in the same town you were born in, or you’ve been in the same house for the past three decades, you too are a sojourner.
This isn’t our home. We are just passing through. We are waiting for Jesus to come and take us the rest of the way to the city that is ahead. 
It’s good to remember this.

In preparation for our move, I’ve gathered paint samples for a color renovation project, studied inside pictures of my new home to get a sense of where to put what, and called to set up internet, garbage collection, and mail forwarding.

And I’m wondering as I read in John 14, what is Jesus doing to prepare our heavenly abode? Will we get one room or a whole house to share with all the people we love best? Will there be color on the walls? Is refrigeration necessary for the food that we will be feasting on? How close together will our mansion-homes be? 

Every day I am increasingly eager to move to my next city and home.
In part, I am rarin’ to go because of the continued repercussions of unexpected stress in our rental situation.
But mostly, I am giddy to go because of where we are moving. 
I can hardly wait to go home!

I think it’s similarly true that when things of earth are frustrating, uncomfortable, or dangerous, we can long for our lasting, heavenly home. 
Beyond how perfect this heavenly home and its glorious surroundings will be, the best part is that Jesus Himself is coming for us, to take us to be with Him and worship Him forever.  

This longing for both my next home and my lasting home create tension inside of me.

I desperately hope that this next home will be a place where we get to invest deeply into our children and grandkids’ lives. I look forward with great joy to offer food and respite to weary travelers and fellow sojourners alike. And I long for this place to be for us and others, a soul nurturing sanctuary, a place of Selah.
And yet, I don’t want to grow so attached to the here and now, or so comfortable in this home, this city, that I stop seeking the city that is to come. 

A favorite author friend says in essence, though we are pilgrims in this world just passing through, we should nevertheless fluff our comforters, put beautiful flowers in vases, and invite fellow pilgrims to laugh and cry at our table for as long as we call this home. 

So we work diligently, invest intentionally, celebrate fully, honor the rest or healing that our bodies need, and worship wholeheartedly. All the while waiting in confidence.
We work while we wait for Jesus to come and take us home to the lasting city.