THE WORLD FEELS A LOT LESS LIKE HOME

This world is not my home.  That is a line from an old hymn, but it is hitting home now, because the world feels a lot less like home.  Yesterday, I ventured to a nearby town, which is something I used to really enjoy.  But the covid pandemic has changed our environment and  the world seems a lot less friendly.  People’s faces are covered.  The Xs on floors remind you not to get to close.  So I ran my one errand and hurried back home, wondering at myself and feeling out of sorts.  Why do I feel like I do?

It helps to take long walks  it helps to hear the birds in the morning.  It helps to realize that God is still sovereign and the things that turn my attention to him have not changed.  A beautiful sunrise or sunset is still His handiwork, and is still just as enjoyable, or more so because of less air pollution.

I guess it is a good thing, in a backward way, that the world seems less like home.  I guess I was too comfortable at it being my home in the first place.  We are not going to live here forever anyway.  We all go to an eternal home eventually.  All of this talk about percentages of deaths from Covid misses one huge point.  The real death rate has always been 100%, and none of us ever know when our time on earth is up, and none of us is really in control.  Good to know.  Good to remember.

So, I will try to focus on permanent things that do not change in this fickle world.  God is real.   God is love.  God made me and He made everyone else.  All of his creation needs Him.  Everyone of us is a needy and dependent mess away from our creator, no matter how we posture.  And He created us to have relationships with each other.  That will never change.  We are not meant to be alone, risk of virus and death or not.

This world doesn’t feel like home.  But then it is only my temporary dwelling place. I will try to fix my thoughts on what is lasting… a short list.

1 – My Savior and my relationship with Him.  He has promised never to leave me.

2 – Friends and family and anyone who crosses my path, even 6 feet away.  I cannot help the physical distance but they all need, like I do, a human touch and love.  Each of us is created for eternity.

3 – and….guess that’s it.  That is what I need to focus on.  Everything else is not permanent anyway.