There's No Place Like Home

“There’s no place like home.” Dorothy, The Wizard of Oz

I’m learning one of the drawbacks of a blog is it only allows me to communicate in one form- the written word. I love writing (and the power of the backspace button) but for a, shall we say, bubbly and witty person like myself (hey- it sounds more flattering than LOUD and soaking in sarcasm),  it doesn't always allow me to fully communicate my message and leaves a lot of room for error in translation. I held out a long time on the shorthand hahas and lol’s of the texting world but finally succumbed to the pressure of social media after far too many times of having to say, “I’m sorry. I was joking.” There’s just something about the spoken word, the interaction between you and your audience; and for me, the inflection of my voice or a facial expression can be far more powerful than a backspace.

This month I was asked to speak briefly at a ladies night at my church. Unfortunately, due to a death in the family I was unable to follow through on the commitment but I wanted to share and expand on the message that God put on my heart for that night. Here’s where the benefits of a blog kick in: I say “expand” because I was given five minutes for the ladies night- we all know that amount of time is laughable when it comes to my storytelling! I love entertaining, helping people find the love of Christ through the joy of laughter. So today I’m going to write as if I was there tonight having a conversation with the ladies.  I want you to sit back, relax and read like you were listening to me speak! Grab a coffee, your Bible and a seat- like I said I’m loud so it’s okay if you sit in the back. There’s no escaping this.

I’m so glad to be here with all of you tonight! As I look out, I see several of you I know but there’s even more of you I don’t know so by putting to use the great critical skills my parents paid for me to get through five and a half years of college, I’m going to conclude you don’t know me either! So a short background…

I’m not from Quincy.

I KNOW… so hard to believe, right?? With that northern ohhh just ringing out above the crowd and the obnoxious nasally ahhh  you’ll catch more times than you care to hear tonight, I’m going to guess it’s a dead give-away to you that my roots are in the north. I’m originally from the great state of Michigan. My introduction wouldn't be complete without this so everybody hold up your right hand. Now take your left hand and point to the dead center. Alright you just squished my parents. It’s okay- they love Jesus and are far more forgiving than me, so welcome to the Koutz family.

Now I've lived in the Hannibal/Quincy area since 2005 after landing here for my second bachelor’s degree- hey at least I didn't waste their money right?? For eight years, this has been my home. I’ve been blessed with the most amazing friends and since you’re all here tonight I’m sure you agree, the most amazing church family.

I was asked to share with you tonight what Christmas means to me. Obviously, my answer has changed over the years. As a child, it meant new clothes- the obsession runs deep folks, what can I say? Paul had his thorn, I have mine. Don’t judge! But when Heather posed that question to me a couple weeks ago, there was one word that immediately came to my mind: home.

Now like we determined earlier, not all of you know me so a little more history. Seven of those eight years I spent making Quincy my home with my then husband. We got to grow up together, making our own traditions and enjoying a lot of great times. Obviously, since I said THEN, there were some hard times too.

We struggled with infertility for two years before finally conceiving our first child in 2011. I’m not sure the transition word to use here… I use to say unfortunately when I described this part of my life, but God has blessed me with a different perspective now, so basically I'll just say that at 12 weeks I ended up miscarrying. It was very hard for us and a very bitter time for me in my relationship with God, but God is also far more forgiving than me and blessed us again in February of 2012 with the news we were expecting a second time. The joy didn’t last long though. In March I would discover my husband was being unfaithful. I was devastated. In a flash, my home was crashing around me. Everything we relate with home- love, security, peace, was snatched away from me. Remember when you were a child, you’d have those moments when you got hurt at school or maybe you were at a friend’s house and you’d say, “I just want to go home.” I remember lying in my bed, rocking back and forth just sobbing and saying I just want to go home. But there I was in my own bed at home.

Now you guys wouldn't be the first people to tell me that I’m crazy, but do you ever have that feeling?? I mean, sometimes life just sucks. Work isn’t going the way you want it, bills aren't getting paid, and relationships are failing and deep inside your heart there’s this aching that pleads, “I just want to go home.” Gosh, I had that feeling more times this past year than I care to recall, but I know there’s a reason for it. I feel that longing because this place is not my home. It’s not my home and it’s not your home.

Hebrews 13:14 says, “For this world is not our home; we are looking forward to our city in heaven which is yet to come.”

There are several other verses in the Bible that talk about our heavenly home. Phil. 3:20-21 reminds us how our citizenship is in heaven and we eagerly await our new bodies Jesus will give us.

John 14:2 says, “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.”

Over the last eight years, Christmas has been the one consistent time I get to go home to Michigan. I look forward to it for months. My mom always does a great job of “preparing a place” for me. Now for me that means making sure we eat what I want and that there’s Vernors in the fridge.  But even bigger than the menu, is that I’m surrounded by love and laughter and a peace that you just can’t explain. I’m sure all of you understand that feeling. It’s that same feeling that our hearts ache for when the troubles of this world overtake us. When we can’t understand why the doctor gave us the news he did or why a friend betrayed us. It’s the comfort and joy we've tasted that makes us say, “I just want to go home.”

This place wasn't Jesus’ home either. That day centuries ago, in a stable filled with hay, Jesus gave up the same security and comfort we long for, that our hearts ache for, so that we could have it for eternity. He left his home and came to earth as a baby to give up his life so one day he could share that home with me. Can you even imagine the nights he'd be crying out, "I just want to go home." to his Father?

I long for the day I’m home. Where the loneliness is gone, my children are in my arms and I’m in my Heavenly Father’s. I'll be surrounded by my church family- friends from Michigan and Illinois and Missouri and wherever else I end up- all together at home.

I don’t know your story, what it is that makes your heart cry “I just want to go home.” But I do know it’s because of Jesus’ sacrifice that one day you can be there and He will wipe every tear from your eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. All these things will be gone forever. (Revelation 21:4)  And you will be home.

"Instead, they were longing for a better country- a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them." 
Hebrews 11:16