On Coming Home

The rose petals are crispy, weeds cover the ground like grass and the milk in the fridge has gone sour. It’s good to be home after two weeks away. Now it’s time to get back into the rhythm of real life. It’s time to sort through two weeks of mail. Aside from the bad milk there is no food in the house. Returning home these chores don’t daunt-they excite. That is why vacations are important.


My wife and I are goal setters. We like to calendar, plan and set goals for the month, quarter and year. Beyond that we have our personal goals; bad habits to overcome, exercise routines, ministry, friends to stay in touch with. The list gets overwhelming. Two weeks ago I couldn’t face the list. I had no energy for self-improvement and didn’t feel a bit like loving others. Coming home we are rested and energized. The list energizes. That is why we drive to four National Parks in two weeks.

“Dad, are you excited about going to work,” my daughter asked. I’m not. I’m excited again about the big picture. What God is going to work in our lives and what we are going to work out. I look forward to digging into life again. Tomorrow I’ll trim the crunchy roses and hoe the weeds. Life begins again. I can’t wait.