Homesick!

Homesickness – what is it? It’s that deep yearning, rolling you feel in the pit of your stomach. A yearning that can only be quenched with a renewal with those you are missing and the experiences savored. In our mobile society, homesickness can abound with so many separations.

Our son, Paul, once wrote during his early 20’s, “Being on your own is looking at four walls and wondering what is going on at home!” I read the yearning between the lines.

When I went to college, 75 miles away from home, Dad and Mom said that I could not come home for six weeks because of finances. That six weeks became almost unbearable. Even a brief phone call home from the dorm did little to ease that ache of homesickness that I felt.

Being homesick for me included remembering sitting on the back porch, crunching into a piece of ice cold watermelon with deep fried Rollkuchen or tasting a fresh tomato with vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar. Those two foods bring back memories of home and my Mom and Dad. Along with the tastes come the smell of sheets and towels dried in the Oklahoma sunshinethe of fresh rye bread or the aroma of homemade gingerbread.

What does homesickness sound like? I can still hear Dad’s voice in the morning, “Up and at’em!” as we began our day. I can hear the whirr of the sewing machine as Mom created an article of clothing or at night, I can hear Mom playing the piano to lull us to sleep. I can hear my Dad’s voice at meal times saying the prayer, “Komm, Herr Jesu! sey unser Gast; und segne, was du bescheret hast.”

Homesickness can look like a family fishing together, praying together, listening to the rise and fall of Dad’s voice as he told Bible stories, the pencil taps on the baby chicken’s feed container to encourage them to eat. A mental scrapbook of photographs of love races through my mind. No need to crop the pictures or add captions on beautiful paper, for the memories are indelible and bring pangs of familiar homesickness for times past.

Our children have never lived near us. We treasured every letter and every picture we received to fill the need to know our grandchildren. Even little fingerprints left after a visit were not washed away quickly. As technology increased, we enjoyed the emails, more pictures, and videos of our grandchildren. KMBZ videos came disguised as a Christmas gift – annually. On our 50th anniversary, our children sent videos from three other states to our son Paul to edit. Our children – all home on video – for our 50th anniversary. Our son Dan and his wife came to celebrate with us. We sent audio cassettes with songs and stories through the years to our grandchildren.

This morning’s walk provided another thought. The trees towering to the heavens, held a nest at a dizzying height. Then I saw birds flying so high near the nest. There is a life beyond where I walk on earth, just as there is a spiritual life within our reach, one we can share with Jesus.

As I thought about the state of homesickness, I wondered….what am I homesick for now? Family members who are with the Lord. Our still born baby, twin to Dan, lies in my thoughts. My brother, Jim, died recently. The earth seems strange when I know he is no longer here.

Reading the book, “Heaven“, by Randy Alcorn, brought heaven in my scope of thoughts again. Do I keep alive the desire for the true country of Heaven, as C.S. Lewis wrote?

What is Home? It is a place where I can be comfortable and at peace. A place where I can enjoy friends and family. A place I can mature and learn. Where is this Home? It is said that Home is the place where you hang your hat. I say, Home is where I trust my heart!

Abraham traveled in trust to an unknown place to make it his home, Hebrews 11:8 – By an act of faith, Abraham said yes to God’s call to travel to an unknown place that would become his home. When he left he had no idea where he was going. By an act of faith he lived in the country promised him, lived as a stranger camping in tents. Isaac and Jacob did the same, living under the same promise. Abraham did it by keeping his eye on an unseen city with real, eternal foundations—the City designed and built by God.
Ephesians 2:19 – That’s plain enough, isn’t it? You’re no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You’re no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home.

That brings back my favorite verse in John 14 – when Jesus says he is preparing a place for us. Just as we prepare for family coming home, Jesus is preparing to have us come home. He wants us to feel at home with Him. Just as traveling family comes to visit – they must pack well, with the living water, and the fruit of the spirit – so they are ready to be at home with the Lord.

As family and friends leave this earth, homesickness begins to mean different things. Home begins to mean Heaven, not places of abode on His earth. It has been more than 50 years ago, that my Grandfather Suderman responded to the song I sang based on the 23rd Psalm. His words were, “That is where I want to be.” Grandpa was homesick for heaven, he was weary of this world and longed for eternal rest. A week later Grandpa was HOME.

How can we be sure of going home? Ephesians 1:13 – It’s in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free—signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit.

As we continue on in this world, I believe God has placed earthly ‘homesickness’ in our hearts, so that we can recognize our longing for being at Home with the Lord. The excitement of a New Home is filled with wanting to know the sights, sounds, smells and joys of our new home. God has filled this earth with such beautiful mountains, seas, trees, flowers and birds that reminds us of the glory yet to come.

Mom wrote in her Dear Poppa Journal…June 19, 1979…I imagine you very close to me. So what IF I am tired – I will hurry to get my work done so that God calls me home, too. All my love, Good night!

As a dear friend and I lamented the lack of time to visit, her reply made me think more of our new Home, “That’s what Heaven is for!“

This song by W. Fisher and K. Bible, sung to the 3rd movement of Dvorak’s 9th Symphony paints a picture of Goin’ Home. It is a song I often sang.

Going home, going home, I’m just going home.
Quiet-like, slip away- I’ll be going home.
It’s not far, just close by; Jesus is the Door;
Work all done, laid aside, Fear and grief no more.
Friends are there, waiting now. He is waiting, too.
See His smile! See His hand! He will lead me through.

Morning Star lights the way; Restless dream all done;
Shadows gone, break of day, Life has just begun.
Every tear wiped away, Pain and sickness gone;
Wide awake there with Him! Peace goes on and on!
Going home, going home, I’ll be going home.
See the Light! See the Sun! I’m just going home.

(Scripture is from The Message)
Addendum: Addendum…in searching The Message, I found the term…homelessness. My heart ached with compassion for those who are homeless in this world – bereft. Those who have no place to belong, no love, no reassurance, no future. We are aware of those on the streets.

Yet, how much more is a person who has no promise for the Heavenly Home – Homeless! Those who are without the promises of Jesus Christ, those who do not enjoy a relationship with Him and with a church family. Those who face the terrors of this world without Jesus! Those who do not enjoy the ‘blessing of belonging to Jesus”!

eacombs@gmail.com