I watched a documentary entitled, ”So, Where’s Home?” It is dedicated to third culture kids (TCK), which refers to kids raised in different cultures due to their parents’ work or missionary service. This was interesting because my children were born and raised abroad in several countries. The young people interviewed in the documentary described the challenges they faced while growing up, but also the strengths and values they were able to acquire along the way. They went from adjectives such as “rootless” and “confused” to “multilingual,” “multicultural,” and “open-minded.” They appeared to be well-adjusted, mature young people as they were able to relate to more than one culture and appreciated the changes and challenges they had faced.
At the end of the documentary everyone noted that home is not limited to a physical location or one particular city or country. Home is where your heart is. Home is your family and friends and community.
That reminded me of when I moved to the Balkans about 27 years ago. I didn’t know the language, and since I had three young children, I spent most of my time taking care of them. After school I would take them for walks in the neighborhood and we’d always meet people and make new friends. Eventually they learned the local language fluently as well as the culture. Even though they were a bit puzzled when asked the classic question, ”Where are you from?”, they learned to make the best of their unusual circumstances and thrived on being a bit unique.
For quite a few years this was home. Now they have all moved away and built lives of their own in other countries. Now they are making their new places their homes. Ultimately the responsibility of each one of us is to strive to build loving homes wherever we are.
This caused me to think about our future home in heaven, when we will truly be home at last! As Jesus said, “There are many rooms in my Father’s house, and I am going to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2 GNT).
If you have not yet received Jesus as your Savior and thereby reserved your home in heaven with Him and the Father, you can do so by praying the following prayer:
Dear Jesus, I believe that You are the Son of God and that You died for me so that, through Your sacrifice, I can live forever in heaven. Please forgive my sins. I open the door of my heart to You. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Guide my life and help me to follow You. In Your name I pray. Amen.