Longing for Home

Many years ago, for a period of time (can't remember how long), I would ask the Lord to please take me home. Now, life wasn't bad here, but I just longed (and still do) to be in my FINAL home, with Him, free of all the ugliness down here which will prevail until He returns.

A dear friend of many years and with whom I'd been a prayer partner for at least 18 years (neither of us could ever remember when we actually started) invited me to accompany her to Ladies Week at Ravencrest in Estes Park, CO. The topic that year was prayer, which, obviously, was dear to both our hearts. So I joyfully accepted the invitation.

At the beginning of the week, they gave each of us a book with suggested readings for our quiet time each day that we would be there. Well, one morning the suggested reading led me to another verse that He was directing me to read. I really can't remember the suggested verse, but I ended up at Romans 12:1 & 2. Now I've known those verses for most of the past 30 years, but had, for the most part, focused on verse 2..."do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..." Well, that particular morning, the Lord got out His laser pointer and directed my attention to the part of verse 1 that says, "present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice." He then proceeded to point out to me that I could not do that if I was not HERE! Hmmm...good point, Lord!

Then He reminded me of John the Baptist, who prepared 30 years for a six-month ministry! He then posed the question to me that, what if the last six months of my life were to be the main reason He put me here? So, by asking Him (repeatedly) to take me home before the time appointed by Him, I would be missing out on that! "Wow..." I thought, as one of the first verses I fell in love with as a believer was Jeremiah 29:11, "'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope." Then, He very sternly told me to quit asking! Whoa! That was and still is the firmest reproof He has ever given me! I still long for Heaven, but I have quit asking Him to take me home. :)