Sundays are made for rest...

And that's what I did today. I love Sundays. I woke up late (though I was already hot when I woke up at 9:30am!), and had a nice long warm shower (not because we have a hot water heater, but because the sun was already warm enough to heat the water in the storage tank!), and had an egg with my coffee (which my housemates, who woke up ages before I did, had already made!). Then I settled in to listen to a John Piper sermon on my MP3 player, which I downloaded last night. John Piper has the most amazing resources online. I love it, because there just isn't a good place to go to hear a good sermon in this city... or if there is, I haven't found it yet! There are also no Christian bookstores here (in fact there aren't ANY bookstores of ANY kind here!). So, having free resources online makes me happy.

It was a great sermon - very encouraging as it talked about the "call" of missions and the roles that everyone has to play in how God is building his Kingdom among all the nations of the earth. Very good. I would stick a link to the specific sermon I listened to... except that it seems my Internet has stopped working at the moment!

Anyways, it was good. Afterwards, as I sat and did some cross-stitch (I know, I'm getting old and granny-ish already as I sit around drinking tea and doing needlepoint - but it's nice to have a brainless occupation once in a while and create something pretty at the same time!). But whilst cross-stitching, I was listening to MercyMe. In particular, I was listening to a song that was sung at the memorial service for my friend Steve a few weeks ago called "Homesick". I don't think I would have been able to hold it together had I heard that song in his memorial service.

The lyrics to that song are posted on the "Memories of Steve" website. (Which, by the way, is an amazing way to share memories of Steve, since he has so many friends scattered all over the world!). Anyway, I just spent some time praying and thinking about my dear ones who got to go to heaven before me. This whole idea of "home" and "homesickness" seems to be a recurring theme in my life. I just keep coming back to it, over and over again, since I get confused about where "home" is sometimes!

I must admit that I don't often get homesick for Canada, though of course, I really miss my family and friends and hot showers. I even sometimes miss other countries that I've had the privilege to spend time in, and I miss the friends and experiences that I had in those places. But when I get homesick, it's usually for a place that I've never even been to or seen with my eyes. I do get homesick for heaven, for a place that just sounds so incredible. A place that has no need for the sun or the moon, because the Lord will be the Light. A place where there is no more sickness or crying. A place where I will ride again with Steve, and will get to hold my baby neice in my arms and see her beautiful smile. A place where I will know and be known... by the One who created me and loves me. How amazing is that?

So sometimes, when I look around and I see the difficulties of life here on earth (both here in Africa and at home), my heart aches to be "home".

But it's a good ache, too, you know? Because it's Hope, it's the Promise of things to come. And it's the privilege of living out part of that Kingdom in the here and now. So I hope today you're feeling a little homesick, too.