A few weeks ago, some of our dearest friends lost their 24-year-old son. Our hearts have been crushed as we have mourned this loss with them. There is hardly an hour that goes by that I do not tear up momentarily when I think of the loss of this precious young man. You see, this family is as close as possible to being our very own family … just without sharing the same DNA. We went to college together, played music together, have raised our children together, have mourned the loss of parents together and we have had plenty to celebrate over the years together, as well.
This loss hit our whole family very hard.
I recently had a conversation with Jordan, our oldest son, and he shared his memory of the last conversation he had with this young man. Jordan said that they talked about many different topics, including how they both always enjoyed working with their hands and fixing things. Jordan is currently working in the construction field and this young man said that would be something he could see himself doing, as well. Jordan said that it was a great conversation, but sadly, this would be the last conversation they would have.
At times like these, it causes us all to pause and consider many questions. Are we living for the right things? Are we living for ourselves or are we living for the One who made us? Are we the best friend that we can be? Are we considering every encounter a crucial one? Are we speaking “words of life” into other people or do our words leave them cold and empty?Are we treating life as the precious gift that it is? How about the people in our life? Are we celebrating and thanking God for them every day or are we taking any of those relationships for granted? Are we saying what we need to say to the people in our life? Are we giving them enough hugs? Are we telling them with specificity what they mean to us? Are we fulfilling the purpose that God created us for? Are we making a difference in the lives of others or are we just coasting through life with no deep thoughts? These are the questions that flood our minds when life is suddenly gone.
As I was driving back from a meeting yesterday, Chris Tomlin’s song, “Home”, came on the radio. As I listened closely to the words, the floodgate of tears opened because music often evokes all kinds of emotions for me. I happen to believe that there is an eternity and because of that, I believe we will all spend it somewhere. For followers of Christ, we are just pilgrims passing through this world. In John 14:1-3, Jesus said, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in Me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with Me where I am.” Our true home is in eternity with Christ.
Let me ask you, do you have the blessed assurance that if today were your last, that you would spend eternity in Heaven with Jesus? If not, and you wish to know that, it is very simple. You can pray to receive Jesus today as your Lord and Savior. Romans 10:9 says, “If you declare with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” This is a promise. God’s promises are true. You can bank on them. You will never be the same, because the Scripture also tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in the Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!” This is what it means to be born again. Your past, present and future sins have been forgiven. You are a new creation.
If you do have the blessed assurance that you will spend eternity in Heaven with Christ, have you invested your life in things that will last? Will you have treasures stored up in Heaven? Will there be people in Heaven because of the seeds that you planted in their hearts in this life? We all give our time, treasure and talents to something. We must ask ourselves – are we giving our gifts to the “best” things? Things that will have eternal value?
I am asking myself these same questions. We are all just pilgrims passing through … but what will we do with our lives while we are here?
“Home” by Chris Tomlin
This world is not what it was meant to be
All this pain, all this suffering
There’s a better place
Waiting for me
In Heaven
Every tear will be wiped away
Every sorrow and sin erased
We’ll dance on seas of amazing grace
In Heaven
In Heaven
I’m goin’ home
Where the streets are golden
Every chain is broken
Oh I wanna go
Oh I wanna go
Home
Where every fear is gone
I’m in your open arms
Where I belong
Home
Lay down my burdens, I lay down my past
I run to Jesus, no turning back
Thank God Almighty, I’ll be free at last
In Heaven
In Heaven
I’m goin’ home
Where the streets are golden
Every chain is broken
Oh I wanna go
Oh I wanna go
Home
Where every fear is gone
I’m in your open arms
Where I belong
Blinded eyes
Will finally see
The dead will rise
On the shores of eternity
The trump will sound
The angels will sing
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
I am
Goin’ home
Where the streets are golden
Every chain is broken
Oh I wanna go
Oh I wanna go
Home
Where every fear is gone
I’m in your open arms
Where I belong
Where I belong
I’m goin’ home
I’m goin’ home
I’m on my way home
I’m goin’ home
Writer(s): Chris Tomlin, Jason Ingram, Ed Ca