The Advent Calendar - Pt. 24

 

[Jesus said] “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:1-6 ESV).

 

Tomorrow Mary and I will celebrate 51 years together. I’ll have more to say about that in tomorrow’s devotional. Today, the thought I am prompted to write about simply involves “home.” Through the years we have called many places “home.” The picture included today reminded me of a special place for us. The inscription on the bedrails of the old truck says, “Apple Valley Orchards – Nursery and Tree Farm.” While there are several Apple Valley Orchards in the country, this scene is reminiscent of the Apple Barn in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. While we have never lived in the Smoky Mountains, we were blessed with our six years in the Nashville area.

 

Having pastored in Santa Fe, Tennessee for five years before our retirement and move back to Texas, we were nestled in the foothills of the Smokies with incredible views and wonderful friends. There were times when it snowed in our area, leaving an incredible feeling of the goodness and peace of God. I must confess that I often caught myself thinking that nothing could be much better than those times. Even now, if I were sitting on the back porch with our friends from there, I know I would feel so much at home. Of course, we love our home in Texas now. What could be better than hearing the knock at the back door and having one of our grandchildren pop in to just visit for a bit.

 

However, this year is so different than anything we’ve experienced. I’m sure you have those feelings as well. Some of our family will be home for Christmas, though the pandemic has made it all but impossible to have the typical family celebration. This year has been marked with challenges in nearly every family across our world. The pandemic has touched us all, some more than others. In view of that I am reminded again that this is not our home; nor is any place on this earth. Our home is being prepared with the hands of our Savior, perfectly designed and fitted for our eternal good. The blessings of this world are wonderful, but wholly inadequate in comparison to that. The challenges and difficulties of this world fade in the knowledge of what is yet to be. And, that’s the real significance of Advent. That’s what Christmas is all about!