Longing for home

I was studying this week for a lesson about the last of the beatitudes in Matthew which says, "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Casandra Martin, who wrote the book we are using for our outline, was talking about the conflict between enemies of the cross of Christ and those who are striving to live for Him. She talked about how Jesus reminds us of home during these struggles and makes the comparison of a soldier longing for home to how we should long for heaven.

I have recently been in touch with Josh Boos, an old classmate of mine who is about to be deployed to Afghanistan, and asked him what it was like for the soldier missing home. He wrote back:
     "As a soldier you go through tough times that change you; trials and tribulation on a daily basis. Depending on your job you face the ultimate sacrifice, which nobody wants to really give up but if it's necessary it happens. I have been close to death several times in the military, and it's something that is never easy. When times come like that you focus on what's going on at the time, but shortly afterwards you think of home and all the loved ones you miss greatly and usually it helps a person get through. A lot of people rely on different things to get them through but no matter what anyone says, its the memories and people from where the soldier calls home that makes him grit his teeth and keep going. As an infantryman, this is just words of hardship that one goes through. We all go away from home and long just to go back to feel the happiness and love of what we miss."

There is so much in that for application, and I'll leave most of it for you to glean from for yourself. That last sentence though sums up this thought. We are away from home, our heavenly one, and we can look around and see all the bad going on, and sometimes it is disheartening, because we are longing to feel that happiness and love that we miss. But just like the military man has the hope of one day returning home to loved ones, so we have the hope of going home one day to be with our Savior if we will fight the good fight. It's a beautiful thing.

Please remember to keep our military men and women in your prayers. I know from personal experience it is easy to let them slip out of mind, but they are fighting for our freedom and have done more for our lives than we will ever know. Thank you to those who have served.

"Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus." ~ 2 Timothy 2:3 (NIV)