A lovely view from my picnic spot on Saturday

Sorry for the delayed post. There has been a lot going on in my life, heart and mind in the last 6 days… Well, I suppose you could say that for the last 6 months or more, but during this last week, it has been very evident to me as I settle into my exile/holiday home.

I left my little flat nearly a week ago (Tuesday morning) and set off for twenty-seven hours of travel to arrive at the house where I am currently staying. I have mostly enjoyed the past few days of rest, and I’m enjoying the beauty of this place. I am beyond grateful for the generosity of friends who have allowed me to use this house for this unanticipated break.

During the past five days, I’ve been thinking a lot about “home.” The thing about that topic is it doesn’t bring to my mind one place. When I’m exploring around here or out at church or the shop, I think of getting “home” as arriving back at this house. When I talk to people about the reason for my visit to this lovely town, I say that while it is beautiful here, I’m looking forward to being able to return “home” to my wee flat soon. When friends ask me whether I plan to visit my family and friends in the States soon, they ask if I have plans to go “home”.

People say, “Home is where the heart is.” I suppose, to a degree, that statement is true. The problem I have with it is my heart isn’t all in one place.

My physical heart is obviously here in this house. Part of my “heart” is also here because this is where God has brought me for this season, however long it lasts, and I want to connect with Him and others in this place. Other pieces of my heart are scattered across the globe in places I’ve lived, with people I love. Perhaps the largest piece is back in the town I’ve called my home for the past three years.

All of the places I referred to in the paragraphs above are “home” at the moment. And yet, none of them are fully “home.” The only place my “heart” is whole is with God.

The truth is, all of us are in exile as we walk this earth. Your entire heart may be in one place, maybe a place you’ve lived your whole life that includes everyone you love in a small area. That place may feel like home, but it isn’t where you were designed to spend eternity.

Whether we spend our entire life in one place or travel and leave pieces of our hearts all over the globe, no place on earth will ever be completely “home.” There will always be a sense that there is something we are missing… because there is! Let’s not get so comfortable here we forget about our true “home.”