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Home. What is it? Where is it?

Long Pond Camp, Duane, NY

I grew up in the Adirondack Mountains, a 6 million acre park, making it the largest protected area in the mainland 48 states. There are many “great camps” throughout the Adirondacks, privately owned by the rich and famous. My father was the caretaker for one of those camps, a property of around 1000 acres, with two lakes, a pond, and miles of trails through the woods and over the mountains. Aside from a few structures, the property is vastly undeveloped and completely wild. The nearest neighbors are well over half of a mile away.

Because my father was the caretaker, we lived on that property. That is where I grew up. That is where I originally called home. It was very quiet and peaceful. If you stopped and stood completely still, you would hear nothing but absolute silence, except for perhaps the wind softly blowing, a squirrel scurrying up a tree, or the birds chirping up above. Years ago, if you had asked me to define home, I would have described that property. 

Since I grew up mostly alone and my formative years were spent on such a vast, quiet piece of land, I have always been much more introverted than extroverted, and preferred solitude to exposure to people. Fast forward many years: I survived dorm life in college, where I shared a tiny dorm room, maybe 10 feet square, with two roommates: one from Nepal and one from Kenya. I have lived in a rental house in North Carolina where the neighbor’s kids would frequently turn my front lawn into an end zone as they played football with their friends. I then went on to own a different house in North Carolina, where my view was of endless rows of houses.

Today, now back in upstate NY, I live in the parsonage of the small-town church that I pastor. The parsonage is on one of the busiest roads in town. In fact, even as I write this, I am listening to the many cars whizzing by, only a few yards from the front of the house. This is home now - on a street busy with traffic speeding by, in town, far from isolation, with my neighbor's young grandchildren running through my backyard as they play, people having conversations in their driveways, and many people walking by everyday as they head to the store or to the post office. I have fallen in love with this town and I have fallen in love with the people here. I know that this is far from city life, but it is still far from what I would have described my home to be years ago.

God sometimes moves us out of our comfort zones, and when He does, if we are faithful to follow Him, He will give us a peace beyond belief. I live outside of my comfort zone everyday. I’m okay with that. I’m grateful that He has given me a completely new and different perspective on people. I could revert back to my desire to be “home”, alone in the quiet of the woods, but instead when I see my neighbors, and I see people walking by, I see people that are hurting. I see people that need hope. I see people that need Jesus and the hope of a future in heaven with Him. I want to share that hope with them. I want to lead Victory Baptist Church to share that hope with them. I want to share life with them. I want to make a difference. I just don’t always know how to make that difference.

Brasher Falls, NY

I have heard it said that for Christians, heaven is our home. That is true. However, until then we have a temporary home on this earth. God has taught me in recent years, that home is not about a location or a town. Home is not about a building or a house. Home is not even about the people there. Home is about being where God wants us to be. Home is about being satisfied in Him. Home is about having concern for those around us, no matter where we are, and no matter who they might be - our neighbors. Unfortunately, too many of us are still asking “Who is my neighbor?” (see Luke 10).

The familiar passage below, that Jesus told his disciples, is often used to talk about heaven and how He is preparing a place for us there. However, I recently have been pondering a different spin on that. Forgive me for taking scripture out of context. However, I believe that God prepares places for us on this earth as well. I believe that God leads us to where He wants us to serve and that He leads us to people that we can be effective in sharing the gospel with, if only we would be so bold and willing to do so.

John 14:1-4 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in Me as well. In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

I believe that God has, in many ways, prepared this place for me to serve, and in the same way, He has prepared me to serve this place. And although this place is far different than I ever would have pictured home to be, I can say in full confidence that I am home.