Going Home

   I was born and raised in a small town in western Kentucky.  From time to time my wife and I go back there to visit.  Each time we go I can’t help but remember life in that little town; some good and some not so good memories flood my mind.

   Over the years my life has changed in so many ways.  That small town doesn’t seem much like home any more.  I still see the places I remember but they don’t seem the same somehow.  As a child everything seemed bigger and each new thing that came to town was exciting.

   My life has grown and changed in so many ways since I left my childhood home.  Still there are memories that I cling to whenever we visit.  Christmas at my Grandparent’s house is one of my favorite memories.  On the Sunday before Christmas all the kids and grandkids would gather at their home for a big meal and a few small gifts for the younger kids.  I still have fond memories of getting to see cousins that I rarely saw any other time.  It seems over the years we too often lose touch with family.

   Some of my best memories revolve more around my wife’s family than my own.  Her family was and still is very close in many ways.  It’s always a joy to remember the Sunday meals with her Mom and the days we spent on her aunt’s and uncle’s farm.  The kids enjoyed the open spaces and trying to make pets of the farm animals.  My wife and I enjoyed the great company and the chance to let go of the daily pressures of life.

   Many of those people I remember so fondly have passed on.  I pray that we will meet again in the presence of our Lord.  I think God gives me some of these fond memories as a kind of encouragement to live my live so that I may have that opportunity. 

   It’s said that we can never go home again, and I suppose that’s true in many ways.  While my hometown no longer seems like home, I know my God has prepared a place for me far greater than any earthly home.

   I thank God for the good memories I have; for letting me forget those that were maybe not so good.  I thank Him for all the blessings of this world.  Most of all I thank Him for the experience of life, the blessing of getting to know and love Him more and more each day and for the assurance of eternal happiness through His love and mercy.