Home At Last!

I thank God for the blessing of the mission He's given me. After long hours of travel and sleeping vertically (while in the plane), I'm finally back with my family. There's no place like home. There's nothing compared to holding my wife and children back in my arms again. There's nothing like the embrace of those whom you love. Michelle cooked my favorites: spaghetti and salad (harvested lettuce from my garden) and many more. What a feast!

God must feel this way too. When we are apart from Him, He misses us and longs for us. And when we return to Him from a long journey of search, confusion, and being lost, he embraces us and prepares a feast for us.

While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.' But his father ordered his servants, 'Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast (Luke 15: 20-23).

To be united with God, our Father, is His joy and our salvation. But we are to be aware of sin and it's intentions:

Sin separates us from His love. The longer we are into sin, the farther we stray from God's love. We know we should be returning back to God, but the problem with sin is that it heightens our pride. Even if our lives are in totally misery, even if we 'eat with pigs' we will still try to muster some pride.

Sin tricks us into a life of temporary pleasure and diverts us from real happiness. While living a righteous life seems to be bound with many 'restrictions,' like don't get drunk, don't do drugs, don't watch porn, don't do this, and don't do that. Some of us get the impression that a life of sin is a life of freedom, a life of pleasure. Like the temptation of the forbidden fruit, sin has it's consequences which is death and eventaully a life in hell. Now we don't want that. But we are to be aware of the enemy's tricks. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).

Sin will let us forget our true identity. We are sons and daughter of the God of all Universe, creator of Heaven and earth, most High and most Holy of all. Sin will tell us to forget who we really are and waste our lives on worldly pleasures. We are His children and we are always welcome in His home.

Everytime we pray, we are in the embrace of His love. Everytime we decide to do the right thing and forego temptations, we are living a life of real hapiness and freedom. Everytime we love and serve other people, we are with His children, our brothers and sisters. There's no place like home, there's no place like being with our Father who loves us eternally.