Citizenship in Heaven
This missions life has highlighted in hundreds of ways how thankful I am for eternal life with Jesus.
I’m grateful that my citizenship in heaven is a real, powerful promise.
The struggle for home is a daily reality for overseas workers.
We are constantly in transition and the answer to “home” is never easy.
“So, where are you from?” asked the man sitting next to me on the plane.
A perfectly normal question.
In fact, we get asked this question all the time.
It is getting increasingly harder to find an answer.
I could say Grand Rapids because that is where our stuff is in storage and we have family there.
I could say Dayton because that is where we own a house.
I could give the easy, “We are pastors in Ohio.” Although, technically, we aren’t any more.
I could say, “Well, Jeremy is from Iowa and I’m from Michigan.” which is a terribly broad answer.
I could even say, “We live in our van.”
Which is probably the most accurate.
I could say home is in West Africa where we work which always gets raised eyebrows and a stuttered, “Really?” from the person asking.
The answers get more difficult because if I answer one question then the next question is, “What do you do?”
Well, I could say we work with kids.
I could say we are missionaries to West Africa.
I could say we build wells and churches.
I could say we travel the world.
The interesting looks on peoples faces at these answers is almost comical.
Mostly because what we do doesn’t match up with where we live or where we happen to be in that moment.
People don’t run into people like us everyday.
Even if I give a long, full answer with where we are from, where we are going, how long it is taking us to get there and that yes, we bring our children along on this adventure too…
People usually don’t want an answer that long.
Especially strangers.
Where are we from? Where do we live? What do we do?
These usually simple questions are now extremely complicated with long answers and difficult conversations.
I’ve come to a realization something through all of this struggle for home.
My real answer should be heaven and we are here on Kingdom business.
We are working towards eternal life in heaven with Jesus.
Now that we have sold our belongings, packed up boxes, and moved across the ocean with no simple earthly home.
We’ve been tripping it all away.
Keeping only what is necessary.
Giving up our hold on earthly things.
Letting only what is eternal, what matters in eternal life have any value.
I can clearly see that heaven really is our home.
I can honestly say that I long for eternal life in my home in heaven.
I can work hard at our task here because that is what leads us closer to the coming of our true King.
The King of our heavenly home. Eternal life with true citizenship in heaven.
Kingdom work.
That is what is of importance.
Nothing else.
Nothing less.
And to think that we are all supposed to live with this attitude.
We are all supposed to know that our home is heaven and that our work here is Kingdom work.
We are all supposed to have eternal life in mind on a daily basis.
I guess I’ve known it, believed it and felt it my whole life.
But, until recently… I didn’t get it like I do now.
I didn’t feel it as desperately or as realistically as I should have.
Now I feel it.
Kingdom work.
Eternal life with Jesus.
Where is your home? and What do you do? Do you daily remember your citizenship in heaven?
Home is where you hang your hat and right now that would be El Salvador. Our hearts are divided. Our children are thousands of miles away and with them lives our hearts. We long to be with them. We long to be normal. But there is a call that will not allow a normal life. No we have been called out of the shadows into the unknown chasing a God you can not see with a message many do not want to hear. But how do you turn back? you don’t. You go forward trusting it all the Lord who calls you to give up home and family for something much bigger. “He is no fool who gives up what he can not keep to gain what he can not lose.” ~Tammy
Great post! We are all asked those questions daily. In my personal experience, I find true Christians are recognized by their daily actions. We should be working towards a Kingdom existence by living fully here on earth. I’m always amazed in my day to day dealings how you can bring God to someone and Him to you in the simple things. A smile to someone being rude, a warm blanket to a patient that is cold, opening a door for someone with their hands full. When we look beyond ourselves, we are able to minister to others. Where are you from and what do you do? No matter what our profession or where we live, we are all Children of God, put here to do his will with our many talents. Nice reminder of that in your post.