My Forever Home

Fifty five years ago today I answered the door to find my dad standing there as part of the visitation team from our little church in Southern California. He came in, of course, and told me he knew I had some questions about church membership. The day before I had checked the box declaring I was a member at the only church I had ever remembered attending. I was not a “member” because attending every time the doors were open was not what being a member meant. That confused me because I was certain I belonged to this place, to this group of people who loved me, prayed for me and taught me about Jesus.
My dad and Mr Grantham were the smartest men I knew (they still are!) and they were part of the team that answered questions about faith and God on Monday nights! When my dad got home, he had a few more questions to answer and things about faith to clarify for his firstborn daughter. What he told me did not need to come from the intelligence he possessed. The gospel is not rocket science – hahahahhaha! What he shared was the simple truth of the gospel. He told me that being a member of a church was more than attending there; it was really all about becoming part of a larger group of people who all believed in Jesus as the Messiah – the way, the truth and the life. Our family’s faith was not enough and I needed to make it my own. To become a member of God’s family meant that I needed to personally trust Christ as savior. This made sense to me and so my dad walked the Romans road with me and prayed with me to receive Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I became a member of the church but I really became a member of the family pf God that night.
The biggest journey, the greatest adventure of moving further up and further in to all the privileges and responsibilities of being part of God’s kingdom has taken my whole life and it will continue to become my reality for all eternity. Unlike earthly families and homes, I will never gain independence and leave the nest. Never will I have to figure out how to make it on my own and never will I not be cared for. Never will I know hunger or homelessness or loneliness. Never will I have to “move” – Jesus is preparing my forever home. This is such good news!
55 years ago, I made a decision that has changed everything. A gift. My joy and hope.