Does your mind
ever wander? My daughter, Mary, assures
me I can get frequent flyer miles for “flight of ideas!” On my recent “flight” I was thinking about
how long Kathy and I have lived in our current Alaska home, which then led me to
thinking about the places I’ve lived, which finally led me to consider where my
real home truly is. Where do you consider home?
Perhaps a little explanation
will help you know what caused my mind to “fly” these paths. I was born in Springfield, MA, in 1953. Early in the marriage of my parents they
built a house in Easthampton where we lived for 9 years. I was part of the 5th generation
of the Rockeys in Easthampton. For much
of my life, Massachusetts seemed “home.”
But, in 1965 our family moved to Gainesville, FL, for my dad’s work. Even while attending college and seminary,
Gainesville was home for me, until Kathy and I were married in 1977. So I lived in Gainesville for 12 years, longer
than in MA. My parents and siblings stayed
in and near Gainesville. In many ways
Gainesville is “home.” Early in our marriage, Kathy and I lived in Detroit and then
in St. Louis. When I served as pastor of
St. Paul Lutheran Church in St. Louis, we lived four years in the church parsonage. Then, in 1983 I accepted a call to Our
Redeemer Lutheran in Jacksonville, FL, where we lived in the same house for 8
years. I finally accepted a call to St. John Lutheran Church, Palmer, Alaska in
1991. We lived in our first Alaska house
from July 13, 1991 until May 19, 2006.
So, we lived in that home 14 years, 10 months, and 6 days, longer than I
had personally lived anywhere else. But,
Kathy and I built a new house in 2006 and have now lived in this home since,
May 19, 2006. Therefore, if my
calculations are correct, since March 26, of this year I have lived in my
current home longer than in any other place of residence! Maybe you can see why my daughter accuses me
of flight of ideas!
This may seem
insignificant, but many important events in our family took place in our
current home. All four of our children
have lived with us at one time or another.
Kathy’s mom was alive and spent precious time with us in our current residence. Family and friends have visited, spent time
sleeping in our beds and sharing meals and fellowship.
In addition to
the personal events that have blessed our lives in our current home, the house
was built to plans Kathy had saved. Our
lawn was prepared and planted with help from family and friends. Our front flower garden was planted by a
close family friend. Our vegetable
garden was first tilled by a group of church friends. Our shed was built by good friends. Our house is not just a place to stay, but it
carries memories of joy and love from people we cherish. So, if I was to answer my question, where do
I consider home, there are many reasons I could say that our current house is
“home.”
Now,
please consider some words from Scripture.
In Hebrews we are told of Abraham, “9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a
foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with
him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect
and builder is God.” Like Abraham, we may live in this world.
But as God’s children we are only visitors
here. Heaven is our home!
God inspired St.
Paul to write, “20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we
eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power
that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our
lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” (Philippians
3:20-21)
In this life we may live in a certain country, a certain town, a
certain residence. But as people saved
by Jesus we are actually, right now, citizens of heaven. . . Heaven is
our home!
Right
before His death, Jesus comforted His disciples with these words, “2 In my
Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am
going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for
you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I
am.” (John 14:2-3)
Jesus has prepared a place for us, and He awaits us. Heaven
is our home!
Sometimes we become
so wrapped up in the worries and demands of our current life that we forget the
care, and protection, and eternal love of God.
We forget the eternal reality we have as God’s children. But, because Jesus died and rose we have an
anchor in the storms and worries of live.
Our ultimate future is with Jesus.
Heaven is our home!
A Child of God, Finding
Comfort Because Home Really is in . . . Heaven – With Jesus!
Pastor Jonathan
P.S. I traveled to Portland, Oregon on Thursday, April 8, for a Northwest
District Board of Directors’ Meeting. On
the way back to Florida, on Saturday, April 10, I picked up grandchildren Jacob
and Emmalee in Seattle. They will stay
with us until we return on May 3. Here
are some pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/MaZZrT8TdqjaYvfe9
P.P.S. I only went fishing, sort of, on Tuesday,
April 13. Actually, much of that trip was
a boat ride with Kathy and Jake and Emma on the Suwannee River. Here are a couple of pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/mNEosDkusatjqo2PA
*****
ABOUT
THIS DEVOTION - I retired at the end of August 2019 from serving as senior
pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Palmer, AK. I was writing a weekly devotion
previously entitled, "Thoughts from the Pastor." When I
retired many asked me to continue writing these devotions. So I have continued writing. However, with life's changes I now call this
weekly devotion "Journeys Through Life as a Child of God."
Since
I am no longer senior pastor at St. John, I felt it right to only send
this message to those who asked to receive it. (Though I am now serving
again part-time at St. John as assistant to the pastor.) Perhaps you also know that I “killed” my computer
on November 7, 2020. In so doing I lost,
for a time at least, all my e-mail contacts.
So, I was really goofed up. Many
who were receiving this devotion each week were no longer receiving it. I tried to rebuild my distribution list, but
I am not sure how accurate I have been.
So, if you stopped receiving these
devotions and wondered why, now you understand.
And, if you are now receiving these devotions and do not wish to receive
them, please let me know, and I’ll gladly remove your name from my distribution
list. My e-mail address is
jonrock53@mtaonline.net.
My prayer is that these devotions
help each of you in your daily walk with our Lord, Jesus.
*******
Jonathan Rockey
Child of God
Husband, Father,
Son, Grandfather
Pastor Emeritus,
St. John Lutheran Church
E-Mail: jonrock53@mtaonline.net
cell phone -
907-841-4066
Home phone -
907-746-5131
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