During our trip to Maine, we traveled 4.855 miles. I slept in five different beds. We had good visits with my family and Tom’s family. We spoke in four different churches. Tom attended a men’s meeting. Tom and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary by visiting Prince Edward Island for a few days. Visiting PEI was an item on my bucket list, and it exceeded expectation. The memories that we made were priceless.

But there’s no place like home. As much as I loved visiting family, meeting new people and experiencing new places, I love being home. My heart is here. This is where I am comfortable. I have a routine. I know what to expect.
I believe God puts this longing for home in our hearts. By God’s grace, I am thankful that I have an earthly home where I am comfortable and at peace, yet I know that my earthly home is but a shadow of my eternal home.

“God loves us, so He makes us the gift of suffering. Through suffering, we release our hold on the toys of this world and know our true good lies in another world. We are like blocks of stone out of which the sculptor carves the forms of men. The blows of His chisel which hurt us so much are what make us perfect. The suffering of this world is not the failure of God’s love for us; it is that love in action. For believe me, this world which seems to be so substantial is no more than the shadowlands. Real life has not begun yet.” – C.S. Lewis