It’s Only Temporary
Grace Andrews of Independence, MO, USA
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever. -Psalm 23:6 New Living Translation
I caught a “cleaning bug” today. In a burst of energy, I deep-cleaned every nook and cranny of our home (well, most of them). As I worked, my mind went back to other places we have called home. First, a tiny apartment, then a rental house, a few moves across country, and on to larger accommodations to fit our growing family. Then, as the children grew and left home, we returned again to smaller dwellings. In each of these homes, we repaired and painted; we grew flowers and gardens; we mowed lawns, raked leaves, and shoveled snow. We planted bulbs and trees that we would never see in their maturity. If the walls of those homes could talk, they would reflect all the joys and sorrows, along with noisy and sometimes quiet family activities. In each home, I baked, cooked, ironed, and cleaned; and I tried to make a healthy environment for my family.
My thoughts returned to each of these places we called home. One was brand new; a few were only recently built; others were very old. But each one became special as we positioned familiar items both inside and outside of each. When they were new to us, we did not realize those places were only temporary. The neighbors we grew to love are long gone, and some of the homes are gone as well. Our stewardship over them has been replaced by others whose responsibility it became to maintain them.
Such it is with our lives. We began quite small and grew. In time, aging took its toll-and with unwanted weight gain, etc., we tried valiantly to get smaller again. But all of this is only temporary-the homes we have inhabited, the bodies we have nurtured. I will continue to clean and preserve this dwelling place; but, ultimately, I know there is a final home that I cannot yet see, a permanent home with my Lord, where we will dwell in His House forever. What a lovely thought that is.
Prayer Phrase
“In God’s hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of every human being” (Job 12:10).
Spiritual Practice
All That Lives
Sit quietly and sense God’s presence flowing through the trees and all creation. Offer a prayer of gratitude for your connection to all that lives. Ask for grace to discern and carry out one small act of justice or healing that creates greater wholeness for the plants, animals, trees, waters, air, and land that are part of the community of creation.
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.
