Homesick for Heaven

Our true home waits for us, just out of reach 

I adore Colorado. I look west and see the stunning mountains, then turn and see the glimmering city. There is possibility at every turn. But sometimes I get a painful twinge in my heart. My family is back in Nebraska, nestled in a peaceful town that’s more concerned with how the harvest is coming than anything else. This type of homesick feeling is worse when I think of heaven.  

I look around and see pain, sin, and suffering. Then, I turn and see God’s glory in the mountains, people caring for one another in the community, and beauty in everyday life. This tension exists in my heart – how can beauty and joy live simultaneously with death and destruction? The understanding of our fallen world weighs heavy on my heart; it’s a sense of mourning.  

Yet, I am filled to the brim with inexplicable hope. I can see the glory of heaven shining down, inviting me home. One day, I’ll get there.  

“ For this world is not our home; we are looking forward to our everlasting home in heaven,” Hebrews 13:14, TLB. 

I am homesick for heaven. I know that I’ve been put here for a reason, and that there’s so much good work I can do in the time the Lord gives me. I’m ecstatic to experience love, friendship, growth, and maturity, among countless other emotions and life events. I’m thrilled to see God’s beautiful creation, and the resilience of Christians in the world. I love my life here. 

And yet. 

All the joy we experience here is a miniscule fraction of what we’ll get in heaven. My heart yearns to see Jesus, to touch the scars in His hands, and to talk with Him. I long to see loved ones who have passed on before me. My heart swells when I realize that I will get to live in heaven without pain. There will be no more tears, heartbreak, or sin. Oh, how I desire that life!  

So, I am stuck. I relate deeply to Paul’s struggle in Philippians 1:19-26. What a joy it is to live on this earth, dedicating our lives to Christ! But nothing will compare to heaven – to being in full relationship with Christ, with no sin to separate us.  

I will continue to be homesick for heaven. Heaven is where my heart lies, and my soul belongs. But, that longing will not keep me from living well. I think there is something beautiful in this way of life. I thank the Lord for both providing me a home in heaven, and for giving me the opportunity to glorify Him in the world.