I just love going on vacation. I know most people do. I love the pre-trip planning, the packing, and the busyness on departure day. It all just screams “adventure” to me and I love every minute. And did you know that new experiences boosts brain health? It’s true! So when the stress of travel preparations tries to take over my enjoyment, I remind myself, “It’s good to do new things.” This always refocuses me and returns my excitement for the adventure that awaits .
And it doesn’t have to be a grand vacation to ignite my excitement. It can just as easily be a few days at my mother-in-laws lake cabin, or a day trip to the beach, or even a few hours spent hiking. Each occasion involves planning and preparing which grows excitement for a fun moment ahead.
I think most people would agree that traveling to a destination is much more enjoyable than traveling back home. My husband definitely holds this opinion. I, however, feel that it is hard to match that feeling of opening your front door after being away for a while. Don’t get me wrong. As I’ve stated above, I love to travel – for a week or a day. I love to go to new places and do new things. However, no matter how long we’ve been away, when I walk through my door and step into my living room I always have the same cliche statement come sincerely out of my mouth, “It is so great to be home!”
I was reflecting upon this after our return home from our recent summer vacation. And it struck me that this is how our soul must feel as we enter Heaven for eternity. God has given us a beautiful world to live in. It is full of beauty and adventure. It provides “new things” each and every day. Yes, our “travels” here are full of highs and lows, joys and stresses. The “new things” we encounter are not alway what we would choose. But they all join together to make up this beautiful thing we call life.
One of the facts of this life is that we will all depart at some point. We don’t know how or when, but it is a fact that holds true for every person. God created us and placed our soul within us so that we would seek Him. Our soul longs to connect with our Creator and does so through God the Son, Jesus.
Sadly, we all sin. And our sin separates us from God the Father. But out of His great love for all people, God sent Jesus who took our sin upon Himself when He died on the cross. He took the punishment that our sin deserves so that we could be forgiven. It is God’s free gift to all who believe through faith and trust in Jesus as Savior. When we do so, our soul rejoices and excitedly plans for the “new things” God has in store for us as His children.
Jesus came to earth so that our adventure would not be simply temporal. He made a way for us to be with our loving, Heavenly Father for eternity, where the greatest of great adventures awaits and where our soul will sing, “It is so great to be home!”
