Oftentimes when I travel, people ask me where I am from. Earlier this year, however, I had the unique experience of going on a trip where the more frequent question was whether I was going to stay. I had gone to visit some friends who recently moved out of state to plant a new church. Time and time again people asked me whether I was going to move there, prompting me to tell my husband that the next time I went I would be wearing a shirt that says, “Just visiting.”
While the inquiries were well-intentioned, I found myself bristling at the constant questions. Perhaps this was because there was a slight insinuation that the place I was visiting was better than the place I had come from – that somehow the treasures there were more profound than what I had back home. I loved the people I got to see and I could rejoice at the goodness that they have experienced, but it was very clear to me that this was not the place for me. I had a great visit and delighted in seeing my friends’ new community and in witnessing how God was using them, but it was just a temporary excursion. I would soon be returning to my family and the place that God had called me to be. This recognition prompted me to use my time to the fullest, but it never caused me to confuse my temporary locale with my permanent abode. I could celebrate the good that was there, but appreciate that for me, God’s good would be realized somewhere else.
As I thought through these things, it reminded me that this “just visiting” mindset should be one that Christians embrace on a daily basis. I could visit my friends’ new home, count their blessings with them, and still not consider it my place of residence. Similarly, while in God’s kindness we may experience great good on this Earth, we never should consider it our final destination. God has prepared a place for His children that far surpasses whatever goodness we experience here. We will always be visitors here; this Earth will never be the permanent home for a child of God. While we are here, we should make the most of the opportunity, preparing always for when we will go Home to spend eternity with Him.
While I have gone to see my friends again, I have not yet acquired the aforementioned t-shirt. Regardless of whether I make that wardrobe addition, I hope that the “just visiting” attitude remains emblazoned on my heart. May I make the most of the time that God has called me to be on this Earth, and may it prompt me to more fully appreciate the blessings of when He calls me Home.
