I love to be home. Sometimes, before I go to work early morning, when it’s still dark; or when I come home  after the sun has set, and all I can do is eat dinner then retire in bed, I ask why can’t I stay home longer?  I love to be home.  Just lounging; and reading, writing, working on my own time.  Which working person doesn’t love to be just home?

But being home now brings more than the concept of relaxation or freedom.  With what’s happening outside, being home can bring tension.  And  who is home now, and not wish to be free to go out? 

Time stands still , and time flies when you’re home… for so long.  And “so long” of course means differently for different people.  That may be two days for me.  Two days of just spending time home is a definite luxury!  There were times I would think, to the point of meditation, why I can’t go on leave for a week and instead of going on vacation in another place, just stay home.  HA! We should really be careful what we wish for. 

Why don’t I just work from home? Why can’t I enjoy the other parts of our home? Why can’t I spend time just staring at the plants in the garden? Why can’t I just listen to the chirping of the birds? Why can’t time stop for a while so I can spend more time with my family, and “smell the flowers?” And now, I wonder,  how many are we exactly who wished the same that this pandemic had to  happen? Just kidding. 😬 No one knows why this pandemic happened. But God knows. Definitely. 

Time flies and time stands still when we are home.   How many of us have checked the clock and was shocked about the time. Time flies!  How many of us cannot recall what exactly happened yesterday or the day before.   Who knows when this home quarantine will actually end?  Time stands still! Do you know the day and date today?  There you go!

I still love home but I miss going out before the sun rises, and be back when it’s dark.  Just to feel “normal” again.  And just to have the “certainty” of routine.  I miss routine work outside.  I especially miss the unintentional exercise of walking from place to place, patient to patient, meeting to meeting… without risk or dread of catching a deadly infection and spreading it! I miss going out… but I still love home… Why?

Home, more than work, is where we have more time to meet with God…

“But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

(Matthew 6:6)

… and meditate on His word. 

“I will meditate on your precepts
and fix my eyes on your ways.”

(Psalms 119:15)

There is a higher likelihood of being “still” at Home than during work. 

“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,I will be exalted in the earth!”

(Psalms 46:10)

Home is where our work becomes secondary to what counts more… family.  Now we don’t have any excuse not to spend more time with them (maybe except the frontliners, God bless you and keep you safe!).

Home is where you receive God’s promise of “Sleep to his beloved!” (Sleep early!)  Unless you sleep at work (make sure it’s lunch break!), or have the uncanny ability to sleep while sitting straight, or more so standing up! (All medical students say “Aye!”)

“It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest,eating the bread of anxious toil;for he gives to his beloved sleep.”

(Psalms 127:2)

Home is where you are free(er) from the distractions and the demands of the world.  Unless you watch too much TV, or do a lot of social media (regulate Netflix! Turn your gadgets off!) or have online deadlines to meet (May your superiors be kinder to you!).

“For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

(1 John 2:16-17)

Home is where we become more creative… I think. Unless there are (a lot of) chores to be done. Then home becomes work. Oops!

Some say, home is where the heart is. But what if the heart is in making money, or getting fame? What if the heart is immersed in work or pleasure or pride? Where is home?

The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?

Jeremiah 17:9

I think Home is where our heart should be. And yes (a few probably guessed!) I’m not just talking about home on earth but home in heaven.  Heaven is the Home we should all aim to be. Heaven is the Home where our Heart should be! And there, we will meet God, with our family and co-believers in Jesus (our Lord and Savior!) free (definitely free!) from the distractions and demands of the world!  A place where we can truly be still and at rest in and with God, worshipping and enjoying Him forever.  I love to be in that H O M E. 😊 But hopefully, not yet. 🙏 So I stay in my earthly home.🥰

#stayHOME

—- Homey Ninang thoughts

#noFearofHome

“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.”

(John 14:2-3)

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, thank you that we have a Home in heaven. And it is free — made free by the blood of your son Jesus shed for the forgiveness of our sins. Thank you for your grace. May we indeed have faith on the finished work of Jesus on the cross to earn us a room in heaven. May we trust in no one and nothing else. And while on earth, may we preach this good news of “free home” in Heaven and live our lives in obedience to your word; that we may fully enjoy our earthly homes as well, and live a full life in you, with you, through you, for thy honor and glory! Through the power of your most Holy Spirit, In the mighty name of Jesus we ask, Amen.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

HOME by Diana Ross

When I think of home
I think of a place where there’s love overflowing
I wish I was home
I wish I was back there with the things I been knowing

Wind that makes the tall trees bend into leaning
Suddenly the snowflakes that fall have a meaning
Sprinklin’ the scene, makes it all clean

Maybe there’s a chance for me to go back there
Now that I have some direction
It would sure be nice to be back home
Where there’s love and affection

And just maybe I can convince time to slow up
Giving me enough time in my life to grow up
Time be my friend, let me start again

Suddenly my world has changed it’s face
But I still know where I’m going
I have had my mind spun around in space
And yet I’ve watched it growing

If you’re list’ning God
Please don’t make it hard to know
If we should believe in the things that we see
Tell us, should we run away
Should we try and stay
Or would it be better just to let things be?

Living here, in this brand new world
Might be a fantasy
But it taught me to love
So it’s real, real to me

And I’ve learned
That we must look inside our hearts
To find a world full of love
Like yours
Like me
Like home…