"Every dreamer knows that it is entirely possible to be homesick for a place you've never been to, perhaps more homesick than for familiar ground." - Judith Thurman
Sometimes it is hard to draw the balance of living between the anticipation of heaven and the reality of life on earth when one has a strong faith in God. I do find myself homesick for heaven even though I have not been there and don't know what it really is like other than what scripture tells me. All I know for certain is that being in heaven means being with the Lord and that is enough of a reason for longing for it.
Until that time, I need to live fully engaged here on earth even though my real home is elsewhere. That means living in a way that glorifies God and reflects His love to those I encounter whether it be my own family or random strangers. It means living with anticipation of the joy to come while dealing with the things on earth that maybe aren't so pleasant, knowing that it is through pain, hardship and disappointment that I am refined and my faith is made stronger. But I also know that amidst the negatives of life there is a lot of joy to be found. God is glorified when I seek those tokens of love from Him from the awesome wonders to the smallest things that almost go unnoticed but are no less awesome.
The Bible has much to say about the question "how should we then live?" but the verses that speak to where I am today are:
Deuteronomy 6:5 - "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might."
Micah 6:8 - "And what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?"
I Thessalonians 4:11 - "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands."
Colossians 3:23-24 - "Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men."
Ephesians 4:29 - "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear."
