Homeless or Homeward Bound

Somehow they didn’t fit in the picture. He was missing most of the teeth in his mouth, she had on overdone makeup. There were backpacks and sleeping bags beside the middle-aged couple and their white furry dog. All of this was next to the side door at church on the cold gray fall Sunday morning.  

They caught my attention enough for me to want to know more of their story. Since I make it part of my mission to make people feel welcome at my church, I stopped to visit with them. The conversation went something like this:

Me: How are you?

Them: Doing just great.

Me: What a beautiful dog.

Them: Her name is Glacier; she’s 14.

Me: Are you just visiting or are you from around here?

Them: We are just passing through—traveling from Boulder to California by walking and hitchhiking. In fact we just got into town last night and spent the night under the covered area at the back of the church.

Me: It must have been cold last night. (The temperature was probably under freezing)

Them: With the three of us we can keep pretty warm.

Me: Are you headed in to church?

Them: No, we have all ready been and it was awesome. We feel warm all over from being there.

Me: Well I hope you have safe travels.

Them: Thank you, we are blessed.

Not my typical Sunday morning conversation, but of course it got me thinking. This couple and their dog were just passing through. They were happy, content, feeling warm and blessed. They were not worried or concerned about where they were going or even how they were going to get there, but they were enjoying the journey at the moment. 

Isn’t that the way we should feel about this life. We are not home, but just passing through on our way to our eternal home. We can enjoy the moment, and not worry too much about the journey to the end, but know that each day that we have is a gift and takes us one step closer to our real homecoming. 

I am homeless in this world, but one day will truly be home what a glorious day that will be!

2 Corinthians 5:1 Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.

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