Home, where the heart is
Returning to your own house
Coming home. That word holds a special meaning for me. It’s not just about returning to your own house, but also about finding your way back to yourself and to God. To me, that feels like the ultimate destination. You know, that place where you can truly find peace and be completely yourself.
A special story about “Home”
I recently read something remarkable about Elon Musk, you know, the man who’s turning the world on its head. He has billions in the bank and countless successful companies, but what he doesn’t have is a home of his own. No mansion, no luxury yacht, nothing at all. The only thing he owns is a private jet, which he calls a “tool” to work more efficiently. Isn’t that bizarre? With all that wealth and influence, he travels the world and simply sleeps on a spare bed at friends’ houses. It really makes you think: what is the true value of a home?
The importance of your own space
Your own house is the place where you feel most secure. It’s where you can close the door behind you and let the day melt away. Whether you live alone or with a partner, it’s your safe haven. Of course, it’s wonderful to occasionally have dinner with friends and enjoy a good chat. But after a night out, there’s nothing better than crawling into your own bed and saying, “Ah, it’s good to be home.”
Coming home to yourself
Besides a physical home, there’s also the idea of coming home to yourself. And for many people, that’s a real journey. They’ve lost their way and no longer know who they are or what their place in the world is. They wonder if their life is even valuable.
Coming home to yourself means you become aware that you are allowed to be here, exactly as you are. That God has a plan for your life, and that you are loved. Not just by your family and friends, but especially by Him. Realizing this is an art, and those who don’t often live day to day, chasing after useless luxuries.
It made me think of that beautiful song by Stef Bos, where he sings:
“One day you were born, from coming together born,
from a long line of people who still live deep inside you.
With their fears and desires, with their love and their pain.
Far in the past lies the source of who we are.”
Valuable and unique
You are unique, and that is something I truly want to impress upon you. There is no one else in the entire world like you. Even your fingerprint and your eyes are unique. Stef Bos sings it so beautifully: “One day you were born, from coming together born.” And even if you were born under difficult circumstances, know that God loves you unconditionally. He has a destination for your existence; you are valuable.
“Far in the past lies the source of who we are,” Stef Bos sings. Before you were even born, when you were just a few cells, God already had you in mind. He already had a plan for your life. You are allowed to be who you are—in your family, at work, in church—and He has given you a purpose to live a happy life with Him.
God’s gaze on you
That is what Psalm 139 so beautifully expresses: “When I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth, my frame was not hidden from you. Your eyes saw my unformed body.”
You were in God’s thoughts very early on, and you can live in the awareness that you are seen, just as God sees you. You can be at peace with who you are and live as He intended for you.
Coming home to yourself, and even more, coming home to God. Close to the heart of the Father. That is what truly feels like home. Thanks to Jesus Christ, we can get to know God and have a personal relationship with Him. The Creator of heaven and earth wants to be with you in a very personal and intimate way.
And by coming home to God, you can truly come home to yourself.
@ Wim van Putten