Temporary Home

Tonight my son shared that sometimes he feels like you’re not real. At first I thought he was saying that I wasn’t real, but he clarified that he was talking about himself! That he just feels strange like he’s not really here. Well, once we got on the same page, a song that I’ve been listening to this week came to mind, “Temporary Home,” by Carrie Underwood.

The words say,

"This is my temporary home
It's not where I belong
Windows and rooms that I'm passin' through
This is just a stop, on the way to where I'm going
I'm not afraid because I know this is my
Temporary Home."

So I shared that with him, and we talked about what that means. That we were made to bring glory to God as we prepare for eternity with Him! Because He sent Jesus to die for our sins, and now He is alive at God’s right hand, we can have eternal life when we believe He’s our Savior. Our bodies are really just our temporary homes, because when we die, we will get a new body and live forever with God.

So the question remains, if this is my temporary home, what do I do in the meantime? Well, many books have been written on this subject. One in particular, The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren goes into great detail on the subject. Another helpful resource is Live Forgiven by Jeff Warren (they are not related!).

For my kids, I want them to know first and foremost that they have never lived an unloved moment in their lives. Even when I have “messed up” and made them feel like I don’t love them, God has loved them since before they were born. And because of that they can be free to love others without prejudice, partiality, or restraint (I John 4:10-11, 19). I used to hear my friend tell her kids when they misbehaved, that she didn’t want them to grow up to be “crummy people.” I thought that was so funny, but true. We want them to be a blessing to others the way Jesus, as God in the flesh, was no respecter of persons (Romans 2:11), but had a tender and merciful heart for everyone (Psalm 145:8-9).

The second thing I want for my children is quoted in another popular Christian lyric by Brandon Heath.

“Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
Ones that are far beyond my reach.
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see.”

Wait a minute…I want that too! Some days are better than others. I know that I miss opportunities every day to see what God sees, because I am wrapped up in my own agenda for the day, and haven’t allowed time to breathe in God’s perspective or put His priorities first.