Papa, am I Coming Home?

Zechariah 8:1-8

This word of the LORD of hosts came:

Thus says the LORD of hosts:

I am intensely jealous for Zion,
stirred to jealous wrath for her.
Thus says the LORD:
I will return to Zion,
and I will dwell within Jerusalem;
Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city,
and the mountain of the LORD of hosts,
the holy mountain.

Thus says the LORD of hosts: Old men and old women,
each with staff in hand because of old age,
shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem.
The city shall be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets.
Thus says the LORD of hosts:
Even if this should seem impossible
in the eyes of the remnant of this people,
shall it in those days be impossible in my eyes also,
says the LORD of hosts?
Thus says the LORD of hosts:
Lo, I will rescue my people from the land of the rising sun,
and from the land of the setting sun.
I will bring them back to dwell within Jerusalem.
They shall be my people, and I will be their God,
with faithfulness and justice

Recently one of my children went away for the weekend, and even though I am a father of 6 and have plenty of children to fill my attention something was just off. I missed him. I longed for his company. He's my child and I was concerned for his welfare and longed to see his smile. Now that I am a father it is easy for me to understand how God feels sometimes. You are a child of God, and yes, God loves you deeply and personally. He awaits for you to come home, not only to his Church, but to his heaven that he has prepared for you in your afterlife, but this is all left up to you. You get to choose. You are not an animal meant to only live of instinct and impulse but God also gifted you freewill. You get to choose how you want to live and if you want to respond to his call to come home. 

Matthew 18:1-5, 10

The disciples approached Jesus and said,
"Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?"
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
"Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever humbles himself like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.

"See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father."

While God's gifts to us are many (freewill, intellect, ability to create, reasoning) we all to often loose sight to what the gifts are for. Yes we are to do a great many things on this earth, but too many times we choose to do things for our will instead of God's will. We seek money, fame, power and prestige instead of looking to love all that pass before our path. We refuse to identity where our gifts come from as if we created ourselves out of thin air. We may choose to "love" some in this world, but all to often we do it for personal gain. We love others looking for love in return. God wants us to take a BIG step back. He wants us to rely on him. Yes we can do great things but he wants to help guide us. Why? Because he loves us and longs for our company. He wants to keep us out of harms way. He wants to help us become champions not human-jelly-doughnuts. As a writer of prose, poetry and song I will admit I often get an unhealthy appreciation of myself. I get big headed and think that I am a Titan among common men at times, and oh my, watch out. It doesn't take long for me to trip and fall, and for that I am grateful, for at those times I can run home to Papa, my God, and like my children with me I run to him and he helps me with my wounds. He tends to them. He loves on me and teaches me how to avoid those cuts and bruises in the future. Just like my children though my memory is short-lived, but no matter. God is always waiting to help me heal, get better and stronger, so that I can continue on my journey home to him in heaven where I can enjoy his love and company first hand for eternity.