THOUGHT: A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body. —Benjamin Franklin
I had occasion recently to welcome back to the city a group of travelers who'd been gone several months. The city was in fact their home — where they lived and ate and slept. So I said, "Welcome home!"
Perhaps you can recall when you traveled more frequently than you do now. Think back to those times when you returned home after being away for some time. It was a great feeling, was it not? Sometimes when I walk in the door of my home after being gone for a while, I might say, "It's great to be home!" or, "There's no place like home!" or, "Be it ever so humble …"
"Home" is, of course, the geographical location where we have some roots; it's where we have covenants with friends and colleagues; it's where we're back among the familiar things that remind us of our past, our traditions and our rituals. When we return home, we wander again among our artifacts, our furniture; we drink coffee in the kitchen nook; we read books on the balcony; we sleep in our own beds; we tend our garden; and we shop at our markets. We're home.
But home is more than a geographical location; it is also a place in the heart. Perhaps you have just moved from a place you called home for many years to a place that is new and different to you. That can be discomforting.
But wherever you go, you carry "home" with you, because you bring yourself — everything you are including your smile, your personality, your talent — to your new situation. And, you also find no matter where you are, an opportunity to create a new network of memories and friendships while at the same time holding on to the old memories and friendships. You do not need to lose your sense of "home." You are "home." You are loved. And you are an integral part of a community.
—Timothy Merrill
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, being home is a wonderful thing. Someday, I know you will welcome me to my eternal home that has been prepared for me. Until then, I want to be mindful of the blessings of my earthly home and to always be thankful. In your name. Amen.
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