DAILY DOSE OF HOPE – BLOG – NAIMA LETT
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Traveling is wonderful and greatly appreciated, yet, as Dorothy repeated in The Wizard of Oz, “There’s no place like home”.
We had a ball in Dallas last week though. A couple of the comments on ProvenWay’s Facebook page included:
“Naima led me to bring rejection to the cross… no more weeping! He IS Risen… what a blessed event! Huge IMPACT!” Laura
“Naima tells us to retire our Super Woman capes. Lay them down before the King.” Donna
“Amazing night…” Daphney
So grateful for the feedback. Thursday was an amazing night. Praise God! It was the National Day of Prayer, and we gathered to Laugh. Cry. Pray. And that’s what we did. We laughed. We cried. We prayed. Not necessarily in that order. :=) We had a good time.
The whole week of filming and ministry was phenomenal. Then, I boarded my flight back to LAX. When my husband picked me up from the airport, it had been a long day for both of us; but, in his hug, I knew I was home.
Kevin is 6’2″. I love that.
Without heels (which I usually wear), my head fits right under his chin when he hugs me. I must’ve had on sneakers because that’s where I found myself outside the airport – head to his chest under his chin. That’s probably the place I most consider “home” these days.
Why?
Because that’s the place that has been most constant in the last decade.
Our actual “home” i.e. residence has been fluid since we got married, depending on vocational and educational needs. We’ve been homeowners, renters and even homeless (at no fault of our own). We’ve experienced stability and adaptability. We’ve experienced plenty. We’ve experienced lack. So, I’ve learned to hold the concept of “home” very loosely.
We’ve lived on the East Coast, in the South and now the West Coast. We finally believe this is our last stop before heaven and look forward to home-owning again. I’ve learned to never say never, but short of an emphatic message from our God to move, we’ve resolved that we’re cool with the LaLa’s 80 degrees and a breeze, always sunshine, hardly-ever-rains forecast.
But is this really our “home”?
Jesus gives us a different perspective on home. During the last supper with His disciples, after Jesus washes their feet and explains that He will be betrayed, Jesus encourages his disciples not to be troubled about the coming events because He’s going ahead of them to prepare a place for them, to prepare a home.
Today’s Meditation
JOHN 14:1-6
1 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And you know the way where I am going.” 5 Thomas *said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” 6 Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
The King James version translates that ‘dwelling places’ as ‘mansions’. Jesus says He is going ahead of His disciples to prepare mansions for them so that wherever He is, they are with Him. Further in the chapter, Jesus explains His oneness with God the Father and promises to send the Holy Spirit. If we want to understand more about the Trinity and Tri-une nature of God, this is a great chapter to meditate on.
So, home.
If we take this chapter literally, which we can, since Jesus is not speaking allegories and parables here, then we understand that if we believe in Him, we have a heavenly home that is being prepared for us, a place where Jesus will receive us to Himself.
We don’t have to let our hearts be troubled by our present circumstances. This is all temporary. We have an eternal home that awaits us. And I guarantee you, as beautiful as Nate Berkus and Martha Stewart can prepare a home, they have nothing on Jesus! When He says He is preparing mansions for us, we can rest assured that our minds will be blown.
Perspective is everything. I don’t know what’s going on in your life today, but sometimes, it’s just good to remind ourselves that things will get better. A. Whole. Lot. Better.
Be encouraged, Fam.
New week.
New Monday.
And there’s no place like HOME!
Click HERE or the picture below to hear Whitney Houston’s version of “Home”, which was first sung by Tony & Grammy Award winner Stephanie Mills for the “The Wiz”, an adaptation of “The Wizard of Oz”. I tried to find a video recording of Stephanie’s version, but that was 1975 on Broadway. I’d have to send you to the Library of Congress. :=) So, here is Whitney’s first television performance:
…When I think of home
I think of a place
where there’s love overflowing…
Pulling out my candy apple glitter sandals, clicking my heels three times, and looking to go tuck my head under my hubby’s chin!
There’s no place like home.
There’s no place like home.
There’s no place like heaven.
Naima